Purpose of Inspection Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE)

Chitoshi Miki
Department of Civil Engineering Tokyo Institute of Technology

In-service structures Safety or not Advantage of NDE

NDE is the only method to inspect without damage to structures.

Selection of appropriate repairment and retrofitting method Life prediction by fracture mechanics Periodic inspection schedule

Types of NDE Methods

2 main types for different types of cracks

Visual Test (VT)

Preliminary inspection of structures
10X magnification eyes

Surface-breaking cracks
VT PT MT ET UT : : : : : Visual Testing Dye Penetrant Testing Magnetic Particle Testing Eddy Current Testing Ultrasonic Testing
difficulty in detection because they are invisible!!

crack

Embedded cracks
UT RT

: Ultrasonic Testing : Radiographic Testing

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Magnetic Particle Test (MT)

Magnetic crack Magnetic flux on specimen surface is induced by magnetic field

MT Application at Sites
Equipments
Fatigue Test

Magnet Black Light

Magnetic flux

Magnet powder

light

Testing

Magnet powder

crack

Leakage at crack

Magnetic flux

specimen
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Dye Penetrant Test (PT)

Theory
1. Fill the penetrant on specimen surface
penetrant

PT Application at Sites
Penetrant in cracks only

2. Clean specimen surface (eliminate excessive penetrant)

crack

resulting in image of crack

4. Penetrant leaks to film layer

3. Fill the film layer on specimen crack

Eddy Current Test (ET)

Theory
Exciting current
Signal measurement

ET Application at Sites
Equipment

coil

Eddy current at specimen surface

If there is cracks or defects, signals will change

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Radiographic Test (RT)

Transmit the X-ray to the specimen and the film
Radiation source

Ultrasonic Test (UT)

Probe

Quality control of welds in shops Maintenance inspection in sites A-Scan:

defect

Sound wave

Types of probes X-ray beam

Angle-beam probe: 45, 60, 65, and 70

Normal-beam Observe the flaw echo via probe

CRT display
amplitude

Flaw echo time

crack specimen Film- fuji, kodak

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defect
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UT Application at Sites
Manual UT (MUT)

Research Works on NDE

Topics Detection of surface-breaking fatigue cracks
Chitoshi Miki, Makoto Fukazawa, Masahiko Katoh, and Hisao Ohune: Journal of Structural Eng./Earthquake Eng., JSCENo.386/I-8pp. 329-3371987.10. (in Japanese)

Automatic UT (AUT)

Effects of paint films on detectability of cracks by NDI methods Detection of embedded fatigue cracks

Makoto Fukazawa, Hisao Ohune, Masahiko Katoh and Chitoshi Miki: Journal of Structural Eng./Earthquake Eng., JSCENo.398/I-10pp. 395-4041988.10. (in Japanese)

Jiro Tajima, Munehiro Fukui, Chitoshi Miki and Makoto Fukazawa: Journal of Structural Eng./Earthquake Eng., JSCENo.386/I-8pp. 427-4341987.10. (in Japanese)

Current development of ultrasonic testing systems (2001~2004)

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Research Works on NDE

Topics Detection of surface-breaking fatigue cracks Effects of paint films on detectability of cracks by NDI methods Detection of embedded fatigue cracks
Chitoshi Miki, Makoto Fukazawa, Masahiko Katoh, and Hisao Ohune: Journal of Structural Eng./Earthquake Eng., JSCENo.386/I-8pp. 329-3371987.10. (in Japanese)

Surface-Breaking Fatigue Cracks

Fatigue cracks initiated at toes of fillet welds
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. MT PT ET RT UT

Makoto Fukazawa, Hisao Ohune, Masahiko Katoh and Chitoshi Miki: Journal of Structural Eng./Earthquake Eng., JSCENo.398/I-10pp. 395-4041988.10. (in Japanese)

Jiro Tajima, Munehiro Fukui, Chitoshi Miki and Makoto Fukazawa: Journal of Structural Eng./Earthquake Eng., JSCENo.386/I-8pp. 427-4341987.10. (in Japanese)

Which is the most promising method ? How is the resolution of the method?
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Current development of ultrasonic testing systems (2001~2004)

Specimens and Inspection Methods

Specimens with fatigue cracks
Type A
Fatigue cracks were introduced by 3points bending test. l (length)
surface

Fracture Surfaces and Results

Type B

a (depth)

Results
PT MT

Fracture surface

Type B

Inspection methods
Length of cracks MT, PT, ET Depth of cracks UT
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Cracks

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Length Estimation Results

surface

Minimum Detectable Crack Depths

Effects of undercut
surface l (length)

l (length) crack
Specimen A Specimen B Undetectable

Actual length (mm)

ET

Min. depth = 1 mm Accuracy ratio

a (depth)

crack

a (depth)

Overestimate

Accuracy ratio = Estimated / Actual

Min. detectable size = 6mm Estimated length (mm) Ratio > 1 <1 Min. depth < 0.5 mm Overestimate Underestimate

ET

Actual length (mm)

Actual length (mm)

MT

PT
Accuracy ratio

Slightly overestimate

Min. depth = 2.5 mm Accuracy ratio

Actual depth (mm)

MT

Underestimate PT

Min. detectable size < 5mm Estimated length (mm)

Min. detectable size = 10mm Estimated length (mm)

Actual depth (mm)

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Actual depth (mm)

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Estimation of Crack Depths by UT

Tip-echo method

Results of UT
Specimen A

Actual depth (mm)

Specimen B Undetectable

crack a b
Amplitude

Tip echo + Corner echo Good estimation

Corner echo Tip echo

Only corner echo

a= 2.5 mm could not estimate a= 1.0 mm Cracks could not be detected

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Distance
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Estimated depth (mm)

Summary
Minimum detectable sizes of defects by NDI methods
For MT, ET, PT

Research Works on NDE

Topics Detection of surface-breaking fatigue cracks < < Effects of paint films on detectability of cracks by NDI methods Detection of embedded fatigue cracks
Chitoshi Miki, Makoto Fukazawa, Masahiko Katoh, and Hisao Ohune: Journal of Structural Eng./Earthquake Eng., JSCENo.386/I-8pp. 329-3371987.10. (in Japanese)

Makoto Fukazawa, Hisao Ohune, Masahiko Katoh and Chitoshi Miki: Journal of Structural Eng./Earthquake Eng., JSCENo.398/I-10pp. 395-4041988.10. (in Japanese)

For UT

Jiro Tajima, Munehiro Fukui, Chitoshi Miki and Makoto Fukazawa: Journal of Structural Eng./Earthquake Eng., JSCENo.386/I-8pp. 427-4341987.10. (in Japanese)

Current development of ultrasonic testing systems (2001~2004)

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Paint Films
Most of steel bridge members are coated with paint. Paint films prevent steel bridges from weathering corrosion.

Specimens with Paint Films

t = 10mm Load

Before removal of paint After removal of paint

How does it affect the inspection ?

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VT, ET, MT, PT, UT

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Painting Process

Inspection Results VT (I)

Actual length (mm)

VT (Through paint)

Total Thickness =100 m

Min. detectable size = 4mm

5 Layers

Estimated length (mm)

Discontinuities of paint films are the sign of presence of cracks

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Easy to detect
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Inspection Results VT (II)

Before and after the removal of paint films
Paint Non-Paint
= Correct Judgment = Misjudgment

Inspection Results ET
Before and after the removal of paint films
Paint Non-Paint
= Correct Judgment = Misjudgment

After removal

No sign of cracks

Detectability largely decreases Low reliability

Almost no effects

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Inspection Results PT (I)

Actual length (mm)

Inspection Results PT (II)

Before and after the removal of paint films
Paint Non-Paint
= Correct Judgment = Misjudgment

PT (After removing paint)

After removal of paint films

Min. detectable size = 6mm

Slight amount of penetrant leaks into the cracks Low color contrast

Estimated length (mm)

Underestimate the length of cracks Min. size = 6 mm

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Detectability decreases
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Inspection Results MT (I)

Actual length (mm)

Inspection Results MT (II)

Before and after the removal of paint films
Paint Non-Paint
= Correct Judgment = Misjudgment

MT (After removing paint)

Min. size = 2 mm
Min. detectable size

After the removal

Error = 1 mm Detectability increases

= 2mm
Estimated length (mm)

The most reliable methods

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Inspection Results UT (I)

Inspection procedure
Actual length (mm)

Inspection Results UT (II)

Before and after the removal of paint films
Paint Non-Paint
= Correct Judgment = Misjudgment

No large effects
Estimated length (mm)

Overestimate the length of cracks

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Summary
Detectable crack length limit

Research Works on NDE

Topics Detection of surface-breaking fatigue cracks Effects of paint films on detectability of cracks by NDI methods Detection of embedded fatigue cracks
Chitoshi Miki, Makoto Fukazawa, Masahiko Katoh, and Hisao Ohune: Journal of Structural Eng./Earthquake Eng., JSCENo.386/I-8pp. 329-3371987.10. (in Japanese)

Makoto Fukazawa, Hisao Ohune, Masahiko Katoh and Chitoshi Miki: Journal of Structural Eng./Earthquake Eng., JSCENo.398/I-10pp. 395-4041988.10. (in Japanese)

Jiro Tajima, Munehiro Fukui, Chitoshi Miki and Makoto Fukazawa: Journal of Structural Eng./Earthquake Eng., JSCENo.386/I-8pp. 427-4341987.10. (in Japanese)

Current development of ultrasonic testing systems (2001~2004)

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Specimens with Artificial Defects

JIS-SM58Q
Totally 11 defects
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locations of defects

Procedure for Introducing Defects

Blowhole-like defects
2
Hole drilling

2 1

Load

Load
3

Apply fatigue test to this specimen until cracks reach surface Apply UT and RT
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6
4-6

5
An artificial blow hole
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Testing Procedure UT
A H B C
Echo Height
Blow Hole Echo

Inspection Results
Compare with actual size
B

Crack
Upper Tip Echo

Lower Tip Echo

C-5 C-6 A-9

Estim eted size Estimated Size by UT [m m ] 19.3 6.2 5.9

Actual Size [mm ] 19.1 6.3 5.9

Distance

AB C
Weld line

Good agreement High accuracy of crack size estimation

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Relation of Crack Width and Height

Results detected by UT
Width and height are almost the same

Fracture Surfaces

Width ,W (mm)

Cracks propagate with circular shape w

crack H
Height ,H (mm)

defect
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Cracks have circular shape.

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Width of Cracks by RT and UT

Good agreement with crack size >= 12mm

Summary
UT is better than RT in terms of accurate estimation of crack sizes.

Width by RT, mm

RT: Underestimate cracks with size 8 12 mm RT: Cracks with size less than 8mm could not be detected.

Recently UT become the most used method for inspection.

Not dangerous to human Faster than RT Cheaper than RT
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Width by UT, mm

Drawbacks of UT
1. Presentation of results
UT lacks reliability and objectivity in the result presentation. amplitude

Recent Development of UT
2. Detection of 3D defects
Difficult to detect waves reflected by planar defects Incident wave

Multi-channel array probes

Linear Tandem Array Probe

Miki et al. (1999) Angle-beam probes: 70

A-Scan
Flaw echo time

Planar Tandem Array Probe

Miki et al. (2002) 15mm 48mm 25mm 129mm 254mm 25mm

Undetectable 3D defect reflected wave defect To improve To improve Defect cannot be detected !!

Planar Pitch-Catch Array Probe

Miki et al. (2003)

Angle-beam probes: 65

Visualization of defects

New type of probes

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Normal-beam probes

13mm 59mm

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Ultrasonic Inspection System

Personal computer High-speed switching system

Visualization System
Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT)
Recorded wave signals

Selectable probe
Array probe
Pulse generator

Image of defects

Reliability increased
Actual defects

Advantages of this system

Compact and portable appropriate for in-service inspection Very fast All wave signals are recorded within 5 seconds All wave signal can be recorded at sampling frequency of 60 MHz, which is large enough for defect evaluation.
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Our target

Three dimensions Multi-channel array probes

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Detection by Linear Tandem Array Probe

Cruciform joint
probe
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Detection by Planar Tandem Array Probe

Weld defect in cruciform joint

Setup

x
1

Linear tandem array probe

25mm Cruciform Joint 8mm

Incomplete penetration

Image result
50 mm

Top view

Z X
Side view

probe

40 mm

Geometry
1.5 mm

8.3mm
Image of incomplete penetration

High objectivity Very accurate results

6 mm

50 mm
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Incomplete penetration
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Detection by Planar Tandem Array Probe

SAFT images Probe front

Detection by Planar Pitch-Catch Array Probe

Steel bridge frame pier Geometry (unit: mm)
Thickness 22mm
322
column

Accurate information in 3D
X

beam
122

Y X

High objectivity Shape and size of defect can be obtained

specimen

Probe
Designed defect SAFT images

um n

Z Beam width Y

incomplete

incomplete

Beam

X
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Co l

t/2

t/2

Detection by Planar Pitch-Catch Array Probe

Probe Inspection at intersection of incomplete penetrations

Detection by Planar Pitch-Catch Array Probe

SAFT results
Y = 20

Inspection area SAFT results

SAFT image X = -20

SAFT images present at location of incomplete penetrations.

Images show accurate results in shape and location

SAFT image
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Thank you

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