Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry

Nicole Trujillo, Undergraduate Student

The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA Department of Architectural Engineering
Faculty AdvisorThomas Boothby, PhD, PE, RA APT College of Fellows MentorMichael Lynch, PE, AIA, FAPT

Description of IE Method
Impact-Echo (Sansalone and Strett) The impact echo (IE) method is a non-destructive testing (NDT) method.

Some common P wave speeds for various materials P wave Speed (m/s) [Sansalone and Strett4]
3400-4050 1200-2400

Material

Spring Ball and Accelerometer f=0.96Cp/2t

Brick Lime Mortar

October 15, 2011

Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry

Nicole Trujillo

Application of Air-Coupled IE Method

Air Coupled Impact Echo Zhu and Popovics (2002)

Custom microphone enclosure assembly

October 15, 2011

Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry

Nicole Trujillo

Application of Air-Coupled IE Method

Data acquisition and control hardware

October 15, 2011

Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry

Nicole Trujillo

Bonding Types
There are 5 classifications according to A. Sadri, NDT&E Int'l 36 (2003).
1. Very Good Bonding (VPB)

2. Fair Bonding Voids (FBV) 3. Poor Bonding Honeycombing (PBH) 4. Very poor bonding (VPB) 5. Weak Signal (WS)
October 15, 2011 Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry Nicole Trujillo

Field Testing: Beverley Minster

October 15, 2011

Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry

Beverley Minster
The air-coupled impact-echo method is applied to the three layer brick webbing of rib vaults in the 13th-century Beverley Minster.

October 15, 2011

Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry

Nicole Trujillo

Beverley Minster Testing

October 15, 2011

Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry

Nicole Trujillo

Beverley Minster Thickness Frequency

The calculated 2100 m/s wave velocity gives a thickness frequency of 2500 Hz.
Material P wave Speed (m/s) [Sansalone and Strett4] 3400-4050

P wave Speed (m/s)

2100

Brick

Lime Mortar

1200-2400

1200

f=0.96Cp/2t

October 15, 2011

Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry

Nicole Trujillo

Beverley Minster Results

Tests Conducted June 2010

VGB (Very Good Bonding) FBV (Fair Bonding Voids) PBH (Poor BondingHoneycombing) VPB (Very Poor Bonding) WS (Weak Signal)
October 15, 2011 Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry Nicole Trujillo

Beverley Minster Results

Tests Conducted June 2010

VGB (Very Good Bonding) FBV (Fair Bonding Voids)

Vault 8 End with Equipment

PBH (Poor BondingHoneycombing) VPB (Very Poor Bonding) WS (Weak Signal)

October 15, 2011

Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry

Nicole Trujillo

Beverley Minster Results

Tests Conducted August 2011

Vault 2 South (17-Point Plot)

VGB (Very Good Bonding) FBV (Fair Bonding Voids) PBH (Poor BondingHoneycombing) VPB (Very Poor Bonding) WS (Weak Signal)
October 15, 2011 Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry Nicole Trujillo

Beverley Minster Results

Tests Conducted August 2011

Vault 8 South (65-Point Plot)

VGB (Very Good Bonding) FBV (Fair Bonding Voids) PBH (Poor BondingHoneycombing) VPB (Very Poor Bonding) WS (Weak Signal)
October 15, 2011 Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry Nicole Trujillo

Beverley Minster Conclusions

North vaults show more signs of very good bonding. South vaults show signs of poor bonding and honeycombing.
Overall, there was significant de-bonding at the end of the vaults, as expected.

October 15, 2011

Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry

Nicole Trujillo

Field Testing: Wyoming Seminary

Swetland, Fleck, and Darte Halls Campus of Wyoming Seminary in Kingston, PA.
Area 1

October 15, 2011

Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry

Nicole Trujillo

Wyoming Seminary Conclusions

As expected most of the test locations indicated very good bonding or fair bonding. Yet no specific trend was found to explain the areas of poor bonding.

October 15, 2011

Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry

Nicole Trujillo

Masonry Preservation Services VGB (Very Good Bonding) Wall Specimen A

FBV (Fair Bonding Voids) PBH (Poor BondingHoneycombing) VPB (Very Poor Bonding) Bond Disruption

Partially Filled Joints

October 15, 2011

Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry

Nicole Trujillo

Masonry Preservation Services VGB (Very Good Bonding) Wall Specimen B

FBV (Fair Bonding Voids) PBH (Poor BondingHoneycombing) VPB (Very Poor Bonding) Cored Brick

Unfilled Collar Joints

October 15, 2011

Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry

Nicole Trujillo

Masonry Preservation Services Wall Specimen C

Embedded Steel Beam Terra Cotta

Control VGB (Very Good Bonding) FBV (Fair Bonding Voids)

Stucco

PBH (Poor BondingHoneycombing)

VPB (Very Poor Bonding)
October 15, 2011 Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry Nicole Trujillo

Conclusions
Air-coupled IE is a viable system. Progress toward a more automated system and software. Successful in indicating bonding types in various field tests.

October 15, 2011

Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry

Nicole Trujillo

Acknowledgements
National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT)

Masonry Preservation Services

Structures Lab, Department of Architectural Engineering, Penn State University
October 15, 2011 Air Coupled Impact Echo Analysis of Historic Brick Masonry Nicole Trujillo

THANK YOU!
QUESTIONS?