PSI - Issue 64

Mercedes Solla et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 64 (2024) 293–300 M. Solla et al. / Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2019) 000–000

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2. Rebar specimens To analyze the capabilities of the antenna resolution in detecting reinforcement bars in concrete, three experimental specimens were built using BS-500 steel corrugated bars of various diameters (ranging from 8 to 32 mm) and simulating different spacings and coverings (Fig. 1). • Specimen I (Fig. 2), 1.5 m long and 100 x 100 mm section, was designed for diameter calibration, using enough spacing between consecutive bars and covering to be detected as individual targets (hyperbolic signature) by the antenna resolution. • Specimen II (Fig. 3), 2.0 m long and 120 x 120 mm section, was designed to assess the vertical resolution of the antenna, using different bars diameters and coverings. • Specimen III (Fig. 4) was designed by considering both vertical and horizontal overlaps between bars to analyze both vertical and horizontal antenna resolution.

Fig. 1. Experimental specimens built. From left to right: Specimen I, Specimen II, and Specimen III.

Fig. 2. Specimen I: steel bars (R1 to R6) spacings and coverings.

Fig. 3. Specimen II: steel bars (R1 to R10) spacings and coverings.