Thermal Integrity Testing; New Scenarios and Methods.-PPT Presentation

PPT Presentation

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Thermal Integrity Testing (TIT) is increasingly used in the UK in applications that were not previously tested. New technology, especially distributed fibre optic sensing, offers additional ways to measure pile temperatures. Testing methods and their suitability should be continually reviewed.<br /><br />High-GGBS, low-carbon concrete mixes can delay peak temperature for up to 70 hours. For piles under 900 mm in diameter, this delay may reduce test effectiveness. In deep CFA piles, sensors can be attached to a central reinforcement bar, although this can make testing less sensitive to cover defects in larger piles. The bar must also be carefully centralised.<br /><br />For piles exposed to free water, the cover zone may show little temperature change, limiting the value of TIT. However, temperature measurements during concreting—especially when support fluid is present—can provide useful information about the construction process.<br /><br />Distributed fibre optic sensing is a convenient temperature-measurement method, and field examples show good agreement with thermistor-based testing. Its spatial resolution must be clearly specified to ensure the measurements are useful.<br /><br />Overall, TIT can expand the available non-destructive testing options, but results are affected by external conditions. Its value should be assessed in light of each project’s conditions and risk of defects.

Keywords

Thermal Integrity Testing

TIT

pile testing

distributed fibre optic sensing

thermistor-based testing

low-carbon concrete

GGBS concrete

CFA piles

non-destructive testing

pile temperature measurement