Non-destructive defect characterization of concrete structures reinforced by means of FRP

The aim of this work is to develop a reliable and precise non-destructive testing technique based on infrared thermography and post processing by means of neural networks. In particular, the experimental procedure to be implemented consists mainly in the “impulsive” heating of the structure and in the analysis of the superficial thermal response by means of a thermocamera. The procedure requires a detailed set-up, in order to assess its feasibility. In this work is presented the case study of a concrete structure strengthened by bonded FRP, with imposed well-known defects. The results obtained by means of infrared thermography were compared with results obtained by ultrasonic testing.