Non Destructive Testing (NDT) on Drossbachs. Drossbachs are a very common construction system widely used in NZ. Unfortunately, they are […]
Drossbachs are a very common construction system widely used in NZ. Unfortunately, they are often not installed with the required attention to detail, causing many issues throughout the structure.
If Drossbachs are not fully grouted, the strength of the structure is severely compromised, endangering people’s lives.
In large investigation projects where CSI was involved, there were up to 70% of faulty drossbach installations, leading us to believe there is a correlation between badly installed Drossbachs and the well-known leaky building problem (plus the aforementioned compromise of the structure’s resilience).
CSI has developed the knowledge to use NDT methods to single out compromised Drossbachs without the need to drill each one as it is the current practice.
By using Ultrasonic Testing of the latest generation, CSI can sketch up and report to which level a Drossbach is filled or distinguish whether a Drossbach has problems (not only on the top but also on the bottom).
Our highly trained technicians can analyse the wave propagation results on the spot, mark out the Drossbach with problems and work alongside a repair crew. The data can also be taken back to CSI for thorough analysis and reporting. The Drossachs can be analyzed in increments to build up a full picture of their state.
Ultrasonic Testing is the only technology providing answers for several applications; while it is, in general, complementing our toolkit. CSI Ltd has purchased an Ultrasonic Device and it is arriving from Germany any day now. We are hugely excited about this as we have put over a year’s research into these devices and their applications.
Drossbachs in Isometric View, (80mm deep x-section)
The technology is based on the principle of acoustic wave propagation. By transducer emitted sound waves reflected from objects of different density. Their return signals enable a specialized analyst to make conclusions about the quantity and quality of the objects and structures. It is possible to perform localised testing as well as area analysis.
Some of the many tests Ultrasonic is used for include:
We’re pretty excited by this leading-edge development and are itching to get our hands on the Ultrasonic Device when it arrives. We’d love to hear from you with any questions you have, leave us a message on this blog post or feel free to drop us a line either via email or phone 0800 33 77 67.
I didn’t know that ultrasonic testing was used for delamination and voids. This seems like it would be a very complicated task and that you would want to get as much training as possible when it comes to something like this. I would hope someone interested in this field would do as much schooling as they could.
Hello Ellie
Firstly CSI would very much like to thank you for your enquiry. We at CSI are always very receptive to input and feedback from peers in the industry, we believe that collaboration is a very important part to ensuring success in what we do as well and ensuring that the industry remains protected and offers high quality results.
It is not uncommon to have delamination or voids in concrete elements. Delamination is resembling a specific type of crack which is in most cases air filled and on occasions water filled which applies as well for voids. The reflectivity of ultrasonic waves is proportional to the product of impedance mismatch, frequency and layer thickness. This relationship does allow an experienced expert to detect these types of defects.
We are very confident with the quality of our service and have undertaken to ensure staff are adequately trained and certified, we have been through a thorough development stage, discussion and testing with industry experts and various organisations (such as Callaghan Innovation).
You are welcome to come and see our service in action!