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Non-Destructive Concrete Testing Equipment

Non-Destructive Concrete Testing Equipment

Assess concrete quality with RCON™, Surf™, and Perma™ devices using electrical methods

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Quick and Accurate Readings

Our laboratory devices ensure quick and precise readings for efficient quality testing.

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Permeability and Resistivity Testing

Evaluate your concrete’s electrical resistivity and chloride permeability to test durability and mitigate corrosion.

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Easy Setup and Reporting

Set up and collect your concrete’s data with automatic report generation and customizable setup.

Electrical Resistivity is a non-destructive testing method that can evaluate the microstructure of concrete. It can be related to volume fraction of pores and pores solution conductivity. The durability of concrete is largely related to its microstructure. The main idea behind electrical resistivity is to quantify the conductive properties of concrete, making a direct comparison with the durability of the material. 

There are several ways to measure the electrical resistivity of concrete. The most common being bulk resistivity, surface resistivity, and embedded electrodes for fresh concrete, which our electrical resistivity devices are developed based on, such as RCON™ and SURF™.

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Testing Bulk Electrical Resistivity with RCON

Bulk resistivity uses a two-point technique. This means that two electrodes are used to send and read the current flow in concrete in a concrete sample. In this method, a hardened concrete specimen is placed between two parallel electrode plates which transmit an alternate current (AC). The resistivity is calculated as an average of the entire material between the plates in seconds.

Governed by AASHTO TP 119: Standard Method of Test for Electrical Resistivity of a Concrete Cylinder Tested in a Uniaxial Resistance Test, the release of CSA A23.2-26C: Bulk electrical resistivity of concrete, and ASTM C1876-19: Standard Test Method for Bulk Electrical Resistivity or Bulk Conductivity of Concrete has brought even more relevancy to measuring bulk electrical resistivity of concrete.

RCON is an NDT lab device for measuring the bulk electrical resistivity of concrete at when it’s fresh or hardened. RCON allows for continuous measurement of electrical resistivity over time, which can be used to monitor important durability parameters of concrete, such as; cracking, moisture transfer, and setting time in concrete specimens.

Testing Surface Electrical Resistivity with Surf

In general, both the surface and bulk electrical resistivity yield comparable results when certain factors are accounted for. Surface resistivity is governed by AASHTO 358-19, which assesses concrete’s resistance to chloride ion penetration. However, due to its widespread acceptance, ongoing research is aimed at standardizing this method.

This technique employs the Wenner-Array setup, consisting of four electrodes positioned equidistantly in a straight line. The outer electrodes deliver current into the concrete, while the inner electrodes measure electrical potential. This setup enables the evaluation of concrete samples and simplifies on-site assessments by allowing the measurement of local properties with minimal preparation.

Giatec’s Surf is the fastest and most accurate technology for the measurement of surface resistivity, which demonstrates the state of quality of concrete. Surf closes the concrete in a chamber to prevent moisture loss and its 4 measurement channels take 8 measurements in under 15 seconds. Surf can be used to evaluate performance-based quality control of concrete, estimation of the chloride diffusion coefficient of concrete, service life estimation and crack detection. Surf has a unique and customized setup, which enables the measurement of electrical resistivity with high accuracy by reducing the duration of the test, minimizing the ambient effects and reducing human error.

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Chloride Permeability Testing with Perma

Chloride diffusion is a primary cause of concrete corrosion, whether from external exposure to de-icing salts or seawater or internal presence in concrete ingredients. Once chloride reaches steel reinforcement and interacts with moisture and CO2, corrosion begins, leading to concrete cracking and further moisture, CO2, and chloride penetration. This creates a self-perpetuating cycle that worsens over time if not addressed promptly.

Concrete’s mix design and internal properties, including pore structure and connectivity (permeability), influence the rate and volume of chloride transport. Greater permeability allows for increased chloride ingress and transport.

Perma is a laboratory device for measuring the electrical resistance of concrete against the penetration of chloride diffusion coefficient. It is ASTM C1202 certified for predicting the service life, durability-based design, and durability-based quality control of concrete structures. Perma is electrically certified for rapid chloride penetrability tests in concrete laboratories. This device is the only RCPT device that has a CSA electrical safety certification mark for use in concrete laboratories.

RCON, Surf, and Perma
Non-Destructive Concrete Testing Equipment

Blogs

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Electrical Resistivity Test for Concrete: A Complete Guide to Measuring Quality and Durability

Icaro Mariani May 20, 2023

A concrete resistivity test measures how strongly hardened or fresh concrete resists the flow of electrical current, which directly indicates how easily chlorides and other fluids can penetrate the material. The higher the resistivity, the more durable the concrete. The fast-paced environment of the construction industry results in a constant search for better and more efficient ways to evaluate the quality of concrete. Despite the increase in modern knowledge regarding concrete research, current industry practices still rely on compressive strength testing to measure concrete quality. However, the results of a compressive test alone do not represent the quality or durability of the concrete. In this blog, learn about how concrete resistivity tests can help the industry as well as the different ways we can evaluate concrete’s durability through electrical resistivity testing. The Problem With the RCP Method When strength is the only quality specification, contractors concentrate their efforts on delivering a material that is compliant with strength requirements. This ultimately does not represent the durability of the concrete. As a result, multiple tests for obtaining and understanding durability by measuring concrete’s ability to resist chloride penetration have widely become accepted. This method, commonly known as RCP, measures chloride penetration in…

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Why Measure Concrete Resistivity?

Jaden Texeira January 28, 2021

Concrete is a porous material which contains microscopic voids known as pores. These pores range in size, vary in connectivity (pore structure) and can be added to the concrete via air-entraining admixtures. The water-to-cementitious material and type of cementitious materials used have a significant effect on the pore structure. The connectivity of these pores and the way these pores are connected can be defined by the term: tortuosity: the twist and turns associated with the connectivity of pores. A visual representation of tortuosity can be found in Figure 1.   Figure 1: Effect of Pore Tortuosity Inside these pores there is a conductive solution known as pore solution. This solution is highly saturated with alkali’s, namely Na+ and K+. Understanding the pore size, pore connectivity, and pore solution allows us to analyze the concrete’s ability to withstand the penetration of harmful agents such as chloride ions. These chloride ions can be introduced into the concrete during design in the form of chemical admixtures or they can be exposed to the concrete during its lifecycle through de-icing salts and atmospheric salinity (coastal environments). These properties can all fall under the mass transport phenomena. If we can understand the transport properties of…

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