Use of Vertical Electrical Impedance Measurements for Estimating Vertical Crack Depth in Reinforced Concrete

ABSTRACT Nondestructive testing using advanced tools is critical for assessing the condition of civil infrastructure. For concrete bridge decks, vertical electrical impedance (VEI) testing is a nondestructive testing technique that quantifies the quality of protection against chloride ion ingress provided to steel reinforcement. This work advances the use of VEI testing by offering an analytical, invertible model based on a cylindrical dipole approximation for interpreting VEI measurements of cracked concrete bridge decks. The model specifically predicts vertical crack depth from VEI measurements. The model is validated with numerical simulations and laboratory and field experiments.