Non-destructive testing
ASACERT performs nondestructive testing at different levels to offer a comprehensive and efficient inspection service, keeping up with the latest investigation technologies on the market. The type of nondestructive testing that ASACERT is able to perform on finished properties is aimed at finding and identifying any construction defects and allows monitoring the degree of durability and structural performance of the work.
TYPES OF NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING | In order to carry out an accurate analysis of finished buildings and facilities without sampling or destroying part of the work, ASACERT has a number of nondestructive investigation services that can be adapted to the specific needs of each project:
THERMOGRAPHIC SURVEYS | are based on the detection, by means of an infrared camera, of the temperature of the system under analysis; the change in thermal intensity signals the presence of possible rupture and spillage points within the pipes. Thermographic inspections conducted by ASACERT can be conducted on any type of pipeline without interrupting plant delivery service.
ULTRASONIC INVESTIGATIONS | ultrasonic surveying is based on measuring the velocity of longitudinal elastic waves within the concrete structure. This survey makes it possible to correlate the mechanical strength measured at the surface (sclerometric test) with the structural texture in depth (ultrasonic transmission), thus involving the entire body of the structure under investigation. The measurement allows quantification within the artifact of the extent of discontinuities and cavities detected.
SCLEROMETRIC SURVEYS | represent the most widely used type of nondestructive test in the technical inspection of finished properties; they allow the compressive strength capacity of a structural element (usually reinforced concrete) to be evaluated. The basic equipment needed in the ASACERT team’s possession is the sclerometer, an instrument consisting of a steel beating mass that strikes a percussion rod in contact with the concrete surface and records on a linear scale the intensity of rebound. Through analysis of the average values recorded, the mechanical strength of the structural elements of the work can be evaluated.
MAGNETOMETER SURVEYS | ASACERT conducts magnetometer surveys for the purpose of identifying the amount of metal reinforcement and defining the thickness of cover and interference of rebar in reinforced concrete structural elements; such non-destructive testing is also useful for conducting the technical survey of metal reinforcing elements within masonry, floors, and supports. Magnetometer surveys are carried out with a pacometer, a digital device consisting of a probe, which produces a magnetic field, connected to a digital and acoustic data processing unit.
SERVICE
ASACERT conducts magnetometer surveys for the purpose of identifying the amount of metal reinforcement and defining the thickness of cover and interference of rebar in reinforced concrete structural elements; such non-destructive testing is also useful for conducting the technical survey of metal reinforcing elements within masonry, floors, and supports. Magnetometer surveys are carried out with a pacometer, a digital device consisting of a probe, which produces a magnetic field, connected to a digital and acoustic data processing unit.
ASACERT, as a third-party inspection body, is able to carry out nondestructive testing of finished works to ascertain impartially and objectively:
- Structural stability
- Strength of building elements
- Operation of facilities
- Presence of any defects.
The use of nondestructive testing of finished structures and systems carried out without damaging the elements allows for a drastic reduction in the cost and time of intervention.
ADVANTAGES
The technical inspection of finished buildings carried out through non-destructive testing is a useful tool in the construction industry for obtaining diagnoses on the state of preservation of a building in a noninvasive way, without the need for drastic interventions on structures and systems.