| Title |
Ultrasonic Response Characteristics of Cementitious Materials with Varying AE Agent Dosage |
| Authors |
박재한(Park, Jae-Han) ; 강상구(Kang, Sanggoo) |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5659/JAIK.2026.42.6.341 |
| Keywords |
Cementitious Materials; Ultrasonic Response Signal; Air-entraining Agent; Sensitivity |
| Abstract |
This study investigates the ultrasonic response of hierarchical cementitious materials?paste, mortar, and concrete?to evaluate energy and
amplitude as robust non-destructive indicators. While AE bubbles improve durability, they act as scattering sources that complicate wave
propagation due to acoustic impedance mismatch. Traditional Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) and amplitude exhibited significant uncertainty
in composite media, including irregular increases at early AE stages (0.03%) caused by the complex interaction between the initial air-void
formation and its interference with the wave propagation path. To address these limitations, normalized energy was analyzed, demonstrating a
consistent downward trend and superior sensitivity regardless of material complexity.Sensitivity analysis revealed that energy sensitivity reached
a maximum of 6.70 in concrete, averaging 1.3 times higher than amplitude sensitivity. This enhanced performance stems from the energy
indicator's ability to integrate the entire waveform, effectively capturing scattering effects intensified at the interfacial transition zone, whereas
amplitude only reflects local signal peaks. Consequently, integrating energy attenuation with conventional UPV is proposed as a synergistic
approach to enhance the precision and reliability of non-destructive quality control for hierarchical cementitious materials. |