Non-Destructive Determination of Contamination of Building Materials

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Bridges, buildings, highway pavements, and similar structures are deteriorating at a rapid rate in the United States. Methods to determine the amount of deterioration to a reasonable degree are not available and, therefore, it is impossible to determine the remaining life of the structure. This project will investigate the use of x-ray fluorescense and neutron/gamma detection to determine the internal condition of materials in place. The two methods are complementary and will provide a range of capability for use on different materials. Conditions to be evaluated are salt, moisture, location of voids, reinforcements, effectiveness of desalination, and penetration of preservatives or consolidants. The results will be very useful to evaluate the condition of existing structures and to determine when repair, retrofit, or replacement may be necessary.