SBIR-STTR Award

To meet the U.S. Navy, specifically PMA-201, need for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of concrete, including evaluating its strength, material properties, and damage localization, Luminit, LLC, and Southern Illinois University (SIU) propose to develop a novel Concrete Materials Characterization (COMAC) system, combining several methods of concrete characterization into a single sensor/software combination. The COMAC will use ultrasonic, physical, thermal, and radiographic methods to measure macroscopic values, then combine these measurements to calculate relevant concrete parameters. The combination of complementary measurements will provide a faster and more accurate characterization of the concrete to be measured, and will provide data for inclusion into Holmquist-Johnson-Cook modeling and the Navys hydrocode models. The COMAC will fit within 6 cubic feet, weigh less than 20 pounds, and be capable of a complete operationincluding setup, test, and packing upin under 45 minutes. In Phase I, we will analyze the available technologies and determine the minimum set that will provide the complete information needed, ending with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 laboratory test prototype and software description. During Phase II we will develop this into a fully testable engineering prototype that, after testing by the Navy, will be at TRL 6.

Benefit:
The COMAC will be a major step forward in concrete testing. As such, it will have applications throughout the government and in the building industry. After full STTR research and development, and going into Phase III and commercial manufacturing, it will be an important technology for structures from buildings to bridges to missile silos. Its government applications go far beyond the immediate Navy need, including use by the Air Force in its programs to find voids in concrete, stone, and masonry, and its commercial applications are also significant. The COMAC could be used by first responders to check the integrity of a concrete structure before entering it, infrastructure engineers could use the COMAC to validate (and monitor) the strength of their concrete structures, and regulatory agencies could use the COMAC to ensure compliance with regulations on the strength and composition of bridges, roads, and other items fabricated from concrete.

Keywords:
Concrete, Concrete, Nondestructive Evaluation, hydrocode, noninvasive, Complementary NDE Methods, strength of materials, Ultrahigh Performance Concrete, STTR, Model development