This paper presents a climbing robot for inspection, condition assessment and monitoring of reinforced and post-tensioned concrete structures such as cooling towers, dams, parking-decks, bridges or buildings. The robot combines a vortex adhesion mechanism with a wheel electrode sensor for half-cell potential mapping of the concrete surface. Thus chloride-induced corrosion of the reinforcement can be detected during regular inspections at a very early stage, long before it manifests at the surface. The climbing robot is a lightweight device, well suited for rough surfaces which can climb on vertical surfaces or move upside-down. The robot can reach any part of a structure, even those usually not accessible. Regular inspections of any structures can be performed with the climbing robot for corrosion detection resulting in improved quality of the inspection, allowing the change from a reactive to a pro-active maintenance strategy. This robot will therefore provide engineers in charge of infrastructure maintenance with the means to do their job much better than they can today. It offers them a way to circumvent all present barriers and brings a radical innovation in this area.
CLIMBING ROBOT FOR CORROSION INSPECTION AND MONITORING OF REINFORCED AND POST-TENSIONED CONCRETE STRUCTURES
ELSENER, BERNHARD;
2014-01-01
Abstract
This paper presents a climbing robot for inspection, condition assessment and monitoring of reinforced and post-tensioned concrete structures such as cooling towers, dams, parking-decks, bridges or buildings. The robot combines a vortex adhesion mechanism with a wheel electrode sensor for half-cell potential mapping of the concrete surface. Thus chloride-induced corrosion of the reinforcement can be detected during regular inspections at a very early stage, long before it manifests at the surface. The climbing robot is a lightweight device, well suited for rough surfaces which can climb on vertical surfaces or move upside-down. The robot can reach any part of a structure, even those usually not accessible. Regular inspections of any structures can be performed with the climbing robot for corrosion detection resulting in improved quality of the inspection, allowing the change from a reactive to a pro-active maintenance strategy. This robot will therefore provide engineers in charge of infrastructure maintenance with the means to do their job much better than they can today. It offers them a way to circumvent all present barriers and brings a radical innovation in this area.
I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
