Structural Assessment and Long-term Durability Consideration of Concrete on Piers and Galleries of Chandil Dam using Non-destructive Test Method

Abstract

Interaction of concrete with the persistent prevailing environmental condition will alter its material properties and cause deterioration. There are various causes of distress in the concrete structure, such as improper construction practices, post-construction expansion due to Alkali-Aggregate Reaction (AAR), corrosion of reinforcement, non-homogeneity of concrete, development of cracks due to shrinkage and thermal stresses, aging, etc., Such phenomena are very common in various elements of the dam. The aging of concrete structures and their interactions with persistent prevailing environmental conditions will alter its material properties and cause deterioration. In spite of maintaining the best quality control, concrete may not behave as a homogeneous medium. Conducting any test in a modest way is the key factor for a true assessment of the status of the substratum. Diagnosis of the residual strength of concrete in in-situ conditions using non-destructive tests provides useful information for adopting suitable preventive measures. Deteriorations in the concrete can be broadly imaged using the ultrasonic pulse velocity technique. However, the results of ultrasonic pulse velocity depend on various factors. Such phenomena are very common in various elements of the dam. Since prominent cracks were observed on the pier, hence the structural assessment of piers and drainage galleries of Chandil dam was required to check the quality of concrete. In this regard, Non-Destructive Tests (NDT) were conducted on piers and galleries of Chandil dam, Jharkhand, by using the Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) method to assess the in-situ quality of concrete.