On site experimental evaluation of the elastic characteristics of large concrete structures

This paper aims at developing a new experimental approach for the estimation of the elastic characteristics of large existing structures and infrastructure. To this end, an experimental program was carried out using fiber-reinforced concrete specimens. The elastic modulus of the material was evaluated through two non-destructive procedures, referred to as the “impulse method” and “pull-out method”, which offer several technical and economic advantages. The results achieved are seen to be in good agreement with those obtained from standard laboratory tests. Therefore, such procedures appear to be suitable for on-site material characterization and monitoring, especially if used jointly in order to minimize the number of tests.