Analyzing Microstructure and Damage in Construction Materials with 3D Micro CT

Abstract

This poster presentation gives an overview of the great potential of X-ray micro computed tomography (CT) to cast light on the evolution of the microstructure in construction materials. Prevention of damage is of major economic and social importance in the development of suitable construction materials such as concrete and asphalt. Therefore a non-destructive testing method such as CT is an appropriate tool for visualization of the inner structure. Its combination with other test methods allows understanding the damage processes such as crack propagation or corrosion. We show examples of internal structure analyses on a wide range of materials: Automatic 3D crack detection and the visualization of corrosion products inside of steel reinforced concrete, pore and shape analysis of lightweight aggregates and the visualization of deformation of high-pressure loaded aerated concrete specimens, distribution of aggregates inside concrete, and determination of the surface of porous asphalt core samples. Segmented structures serve, e.g., as input data for simulation of transport phenomena or virtual load tests.