Lectures 22,23

NDT and Evaluation of Timber and

Masonry Structures

Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

Timber structures

Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

Visual grades of lumber

http://www.woodtruss.com/projects/
Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

Visual grade stamps

Mill ID
Grading
agency

Assigned grade
Species group

Moisture content
designation

http://www.woodtruss.com/projects/
Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

Machine graded lumber

Machine stress rated (MSR)

lumber

Each piece is non-destructively

tested
Bending test and E before
subjected to visual examination

Machine evaluated lumber

(MEL)

Bending stress 2400 psi

E = 2.0 million psi

Also subjected to NDT

Grades M-5 (lowest) to M-28
(highest)
Assigned to no particular
property
http://www.woodtruss.com/projects/
Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

Visual inspection of wood damage

Fruiting bodies on the surface (fungi etc)

Sunken faces

Staining, discoloration

Moisture effects

Bulging at beam supports

Localized depressions

Reduces bearing capacity of wood

Insect infestation wood powder

Plant or moss growth (moisture)
Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

Probing and Pick test

Probing

Locate soft areas using a pointed tool

If easily removable or penetrable, defect might
exist
Relative test

Pick test

Driving a metal pick or screwdriver

Bending the tool back to pry off a small area
Good wood splinters in long silvers
Crumbling or breaking indicates decay
Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

Moisture meter for wood

Prongs driven into the

wood
Resistance or a dielectric
principle
Usually detects 4-40% of
moisture

Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

Hammer sounding

Wood rapped with a hammer

Hollow sound, no rebound indicates some
decay
Inexact test

Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

Stress wave timing

Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

Stress wave paths and speeds

Timber

Glulam beam

Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

Transmission time vs. Annual ring

orientation

Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

Relating comp stress, transmission

time and degradation

Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

Impact Echo

Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

Masonry structures

Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

Stress wave methods

Ultrasonic pulse velocity

Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

Stress wave methods

Impact test

Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

Impulse Radar testing

At Princeton University's Whig Hall

almost 100 years of weathering
and a fire caused extensive damage
to the masonry portico

Impulse radar testing

http://www.cr.nps.gov/
Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

In-situ stress test

Determines the existing

compressive stress in the
masonry
Accurately measure gage point
locations
Remove bed joint localized
deformations
Insert a flat jack and exert
lifting pressure to restore gage
points
Approximately equals the
compressive stress in the wall
Unequal stresses on opposite
sides can indicate presence of
flexural stresses
Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

In-situ stress test

Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

In-situ shear test

To measure in-situ
joint shear resistance
between masonry
units and mortar
Remove 1 masonry
unit and head joint
Horizontal force
needed to cause the
first movement of test
unit noted

Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

Joints in Masonry

Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

In-situ deformability test

To estimate masonry
compressive modulus
Measures the stressstrain response of
masonry
Mortar bed removed at
two levels and stress
applied using a flat jack
Stress increased
gradually, and then
unloaded

Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

In-situ deformability test

Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening

Bond shear strength

Triplet test
= Fult/2A

Neithalath, Spring 2006, CE 455/555 Structural Damage: Assessment, Repair, and Strengthening