Using air-coupled sensors to determine the depth of a surface-breaking crack in concrete

Previous studies showed that the surface wave transmission coefficient across a surface-breaking crack in concrete can be used to estimate the crack depth. However, inconsistencies in the surface wave transmission measurements limit the test accuracy and application of this technique. The inconsistencies come from near-field scattering by the crack tip and inconsistent sensor coupling conditions on rough concrete surfaces. This study first investigates the near-field size based on numerical analyses, and then suggests that reliable surface wave transmission should be measured in the far field. Based on the far-field measurement, the relationship between the surface wave transmission ratio and the normalized crack depth (crack depth/wavelength) is obtained. In the experimental study, the air-coupled sensing method is proposed as a solution to the sensor coupling problem. Owing to the non-contact feature, the air-coupled sensing method not only improves testing speed but also enables more consistent signal measurement. The experimental study using air-coupled sensors shows good agreement with the results of numerical simulation and analytic solution.