Delamination Detection in Concrete Plates using a Laser Ablation Impact Echo Technique

This study investigates the detection of delaminations in concrete plates using non-contact laser ablation instead of the conventional hammer excitation. Tests were performed on two specimens of which one had an artificial delamination. 5 mm to 15 mm diameter steel tip hammers were used as a reference source and compared to a 7 ns pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser with 150 mJ pulse energy. Signals were recorded by surface- mounted accelerometers and in air by microphones and a laser Doppler vibrometer. Frequencies up to 150 kHz are excited with a broad frequency spectrum and little energy compared to the narrower frequency spectra of the hammers. The characteristic thickness resonance frequency of the intact plates can be accurately detected by the hammer excitation. The laser can excite low frequency flexural vibration modes over a shallow delamination at 3 cm depth, but does not excite the thickness resonance frequency. The low frequency flexural vibrations are verified by numerical natural frequency analysis.