Review of InfraRed Thermography and Ground-Penetrating Radar Applications for Building Assessment

Abstract

The first appearance of concern for the good condition of a building dates back to ancient times. In recent years, with the emergence of new inspection technologies and the growing concern about climate change and people’s health, the concern about the integrity of building structures has been extended to their analysis as insulating envelopes. In addition, the growing network of historic buildings gives this sector special attention. Therefore, this study presents a comprehensive review of the application of two of the most common and most successful Non-Destructive Techniques (NDTs) when inspecting a building: InfraRed Thermography (IRT) and Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR). To the best knowledge of the authors, it is the first time that a joint compilation of the state-of-the-art of both IRT and GPR for building evaluation is performed in the same work, with special emphasis on applications that integrate both technologies. The authors briefly explain the performance of each NDT, along with the individual and collective advantages of their uses in the building sector. Subsequently, an in-depth analysis of the most relevant references is described, according to the building materials to be studied and the purpose to be achieved: structural safety, energy efficiency and well-being, and heritage preservation. Then, three different case studies are presented with the aim of illustrating the potential of the combined use of IRT and GPR in the evaluation of buildings for the purposes defined. Last, the final remarks and future lines are described on the application of these two interesting inspection technologies in the preservation and conservation of the building sector.