Ground Penetrating Radar Application to Testing of Reinforced Concrete Beams

The paper presents the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) testing to determine the parameters of reinforced concrete (RC) viaduct beams. The non-destructive assessment of the condition of engineering structures using GPR has lately become quite an attractive and effective method of testing. The subject of this study is a three-span RC road viaduct. In relation to the adopted reinforcement method and the lack of design documentation for the existing viaduct, it was necessary to obtain basic information on the beams occurring in the object. The main purpose of the experimental tests using the GPR technique was to determine the geometric parameters of beams and reinforcing bars within them. The distances between particular reinforcing bars and the depth of their position were also to be determined. Conclusions drawn from the tests can be helpful in measurements using the GPR technique, especially for tests of RC bridges.