Search

International audience; This research paper presents the application of the microwave infrared thermography (MIRT) technique for the purpose of detecting and characterizing defects in the carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite reinforcement of concrete specimens. Initially, a numerical model was constructed, which consisted of a broadband pyramidal horn antenna and the specimen. The present study investigated the application of a 360 W power system that operated at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, specifically focusing on two different operational modes: continuous and modulated. The specimen being examined consisted of a solid concrete slab that was coated with an adhesive layer, which was then overlaid with a layer of CFRP. Within the adhesive layer, at the interface between the concrete and CFRP, there was a defect in the form of an air gap. The study examined three distinct scenarios: a sample without any defects, a sample with a defect positioned at the center, and a sample with a defect positioned outside the center. The subsequent stage of the investigation incorporated experimental verification of the numerical modeling results. The experiment involved the utilization of two concrete specimens reinforced using CFRP, one without any defects and the other with a defect. Numerical modeling was used in this study to analyze the phenomenon of microwave heating in complex structures. The objective was to evaluate the selected antenna geometry and determine the optimal experimental configuration. Subsequently, these findings were experimentally validated. The observations conducted during the heating phase were particularly noteworthy, as they differed from previous studies that only performed observation of the sample after the heating phase. The results show that MIRT has the potential to be utilized as a method for identifying defects in concrete structures that are reinforced with CFRP.

CCBY; International audience; This paper presents two infrared thermography methods with CO2 Laser excitation and microwave excitation applied to defect detection in CFRP. The tests were conducted with two specimens, one with defect, and another one without defect. On two concrete plates 40 cm× 40 cm× 4.5 cmwere reinforced by CFRP; the defects were made by the absence of adhesive on an area10 cm× 10 cm. The specimens were heated by microwave, generated by a commercial magnetron of 2.45 GHz and guided by a pyramidal horn antenna, with a power of 360 W within 150 s. Another series of the tests was conducted with CO2 Laser, wavelength 10.6 μm, by heating the samples with a power of 300 W within 40 s. An infrared camera sensitive to medium waves in range of 3 - 5 μm, with a detector of 320 × 256 matrix detector in InSb (Indium Antimonide), was used to record the thermograms. As a result, the CO2 Laser excitation is better for the delamination detection in CFRP. This study opens interesting perspectives for inspecting other types of defects in materials sciences; the microwave excitation is suitable for the deep defects in the materials whereas the CO2 Laser excitation is better for the defects near the surface of the materials.