Non-destructive Buried Concrete Thickness Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for estimating the thickness of below-grade concrete are inefficient, labor-intensive, and pose safety hazards, as they require excavation, which can damage underground utilities and disrupt services, especially in inaccessible locations like mountains or rocky areas.
Innovation Solution
A non-destructive method using dry parallel seismic testing, where accelerometers are placed at various positions below the surface to generate and detect dispersive waves, allowing for the estimation of concrete thickness without excavation, by correlating wave arrival times with vertical positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If excavation is used to determine concrete thickness, then the thickness measurement can be obtained, but the process becomes labor-intensive, time-consuming, and dangerous
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical excavation system with a seismic wave-based measurement system. Accelerometers and wave generation devices detect concrete thickness through dispersive wave analysis, eliminating the need for physical excavation while maintaining measurement accuracy and significantly improving efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces seismic waves as an intermediary medium to transmit information about concrete thickness. The waves propagate through the concrete and carry depth information to sensors, allowing indirect measurement without direct physical access to the concrete boundaries
2Measurement precision
If excavation is performed to expose buried concrete, then thickness can be measured, but underground utilities may be damaged and services disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes mechanical excavation with a non-contact seismic measurement approach. By using wave propagation through the ground and concrete, the system obtains thickness measurements without physical disruption to underground utilities or service disruptions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the challenge of buried concrete (inaccessible for direct measurement) into an opportunity for non-destructive testing. The burial depth and presence of utilities, which normally prevent measurement, become irrelevant since the seismic method works through the overburden without requiring exposure
3Measurement precision
If excavation is used to measure concrete thickness, then the measurement can be obtained, but the process is time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces time-consuming mechanical excavation with rapid seismic data collection and analysis. The measurement process is reduced to deploying sensors, generating waves, and processing signals, completing in minutes rather than hours or days of excavation work
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary data collection by placing accelerometers at multiple depths before the formal measurement process. This preliminary positioning allows for efficient wave generation and detection, reducing the overall measurement time while ensuring accurate depth coverage
4Measurement precision
If excavation is performed to determine concrete thickness, then the measurement can be obtained, but safety hazards increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces dangerous mechanical excavation with safe seismic measurement. By using wave propagation and sensor detection, the system eliminates risks associated with heavy machinery operation, trench collapse, and utility damage while maintaining measurement accuracy
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method provides a safe and efficient way to determine concrete thickness, eliminating the need for excavation and reducing disruptions, while accurately estimating the thickness of buried concrete structures.
Implementation Method 1
generating a dispersive wave in the buried concrete structure and determining a time of arrival of the dispersive wave at the one or more first accelerometers
Implementation Method 2
generating a dispersive wave in the buried concrete structure
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure provides systems and methods for non-destructively estimating the thickness of buried concrete without excavation. An example method may include placing one or more first accelerometers at a plurality of vertical positions below the surface of the ground at an approximate first distance from a vertical edge of the buried concrete each time. The method may further include, for each position in the plurality of vertical positions, generating a dispersive wave in the buried concrete and determining a time of arrival of the dispersive wave at the one or more first accelerometers. The method may further include estimating the thickness of the buried concrete based on at least the times of arrival of the dispersive waves at the one or more first accelerometers.