Title: Structural health monitoring of reinforced concrete structures and carbon fibre reinforced polymer by active infrared thermography methods

Authors: Sam Ang Keo; Barbara Grochowalska; Franck Brachelet; Didier Defer; Chan-Young Yune

Addresses: Cerema, Research team ENDSUM, 23 Amiral Chauvin Avenue, 49130 Les Ponts-de-Cé, France; ESTP – Grande école d'ingénieurs de la construction, 11 Rue Sully, 21000 Dijon, France ' Laboratory of Active Thermography, Center for Electromagnetic Fields Engineering and High-Frequency Techniques, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, 70-313 Szczecin, Poland ' Univ. Artois, IMT Nord Europe, Junia, Univ. Lille, ULR 4515, Laboratoire de Génie Civil et géo-Environnement (LGCgE), F-62400 Béthune, France ' Univ. Artois, IMT Nord Europe, Junia, Univ. Lille, ULR 4515, Laboratoire de Génie Civil et géo-Environnement (LGCgE), F-62400 Béthune, France ' Department of Civil Engineering, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Jukheon-gil 7, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do 25457, South Korea

Abstract: The paper presents the application of three active infrared thermography methods (with three heating systems: CO₂ laser, halogen lamps, and microwave) in detecting defect in carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) used for strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) structures, and the steel bars. The defect in CFRP (bidirectional, one layer and a thickness of 1 mm) used for strengthening a concrete plate was represented by absence of adhesive (the presence of air). The results showed that all the three methods can be used to detect the defect in CFRP, while the microwave thermography is the unique method for detecting the steel bars. Thus, the accessibility of active infrared thermography methods depends on the heating sources. The halogen lamps, and CO₂ laser are more appropriate for defects near surface of the detected materials. Compared to the halogen lamps, CO₂ laser shows a great interest as a powerful heating source with a very short heating period.

Keywords: structural health monitoring; SHM; infrared thermography; carbone fibre reinforced polymer; CFRP; steel reinforcements; microwave; reinforced concrete; RC structures.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMRI.2025.149802

International Journal of Masonry Research and Innovation, 2025 Vol.10 No.6, pp.602 - 610

Received: 14 Sep 2023
Accepted: 15 Feb 2024
Published online: 13 Nov 2025 *

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