Evaluation of freeze-thaw damage in concrete by the parameters of electric response under impact excitation

The paper proposes a contactless method for assessing damages in concrete under cyclic freeze-thawing. Different sized concrete blocks with various types of aggregates (gravel, crushed stone) were researched. The evaluation procedure is based on the measurement of electrical response to impact excitation. Signal analysis in the time and frequency domain is the basis for the estimation algorithm of damages in concrete. Experimental results showed that the proposed method can be used to monitor the evolution of damage in concrete with freeze-thaw cycling. The proposed method is more effective for estimation of the concrete damage during freezing-thawing cycling in comparison with acoustic method.