With the advent of very high strength concrete, such as that manufactured by LaFarge, calculations that have been used historically to determine the explosive content needed to breach concrete structures have been compromised. As a result of this and other mission critical issues, the Army has indentified a need to develop a man-portable device capable of estimating the thickness and strength of a reinforced concrete wall or slab up to 6 feet thick. The device should be capable of measuring concrete compressive strength ranging from 3,000 psi to 30,000 psi, also be capable of locating and characterizing metal contained in the concrete whether traditional steel rebar at fixed spacing, steel mesh, or larger structural steel.
Keywords: Concrete, Ground Penetrating Radar, Ultrasonic, Pulse Echo, Non-Destructive Testing, Compressive Strength, Reinforcing Bar Configuration
