Study on Impact–Echo Response of Concrete Column near the Edge

Abstract

The impact–echo method is a superior method for detecting the health of concrete structures, but it has the disadvantage of significant errors when identifying structural boundaries. In order to overcome this limitation, this paper proposes a calculation method using a cross-sectional vibration mode in combination with the impact–echo method to detect concrete columns. The variation of the predominant frequency in the mid-column region and the critical boundary is studied. The influence of the edge on the detection results is analyzed. The differences in eigenvalues under different cross-section vibration modes are revealed. A quantitative method for evaluating concrete health using the impact–echo method is further established. Through field tests and finite element simulation calculations, it was verified that the eigenvalues in the fixed mode are very consistent with the predominant frequency measured near the edge region. This makes up for the defect of inaccurate measurements when the impact–echo method is used to detect the edge area of concrete members. The impact–echo method can be better used for the non-destructive testing of concrete members.