Ultrasonic evaluation of flood gate tendons

Graham H. Thomas; Albert E. Brown

doi:10.1117/12.302516

15 March 1998 Ultrasonic evaluation of flood gate tendons

Graham H. Thomas, Albert E. Brown

Proceedings Volume 3398, Nondestructive Evaluation of Utilities and Pipelines II; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.302516
Event: Non-Destructive Evaluation Techniques for Aging Infrastructure and Manufacturing, 1998, San Antonio, TX, United States

Abstract

Our water resources infrastructure is susceptible to aging degradation just like the rest of this country's infrastructure. A critical component of the water supply system is the flood gate that controls the outflow from dams. Long steel rods called tendons attach these radial gates to the concrete in the dam. The tendons are typically forty feet long and over one inch in diameter. Moisture may seep into the grout around the tendons and cause corrosion. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is working with the California Department of Water Resources to develop advanced ultrasonic techniques for nondestructively inspecting their tendons. A unique transducer was designed and fabricated to interrogate the entire tendon. A robust, portable unit was assembled that included a computer controlled data acquisition system and specialized data processing software to analyze the ultrasonic signals. This system was tested on laboratory specimens and is presently being fielded at two dam sites.

Citation Download Citation

Graham H. Thomas and Albert E. Brown "Ultrasonic evaluation of flood gate tendons", Proc. SPIE 3398, Nondestructive Evaluation of Utilities and Pipelines II, (15 March 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.302516

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