Patent ID: 6257064
Filing Date: 2001-07-10
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
An impact test method for determining damage of a structure including girders, the method comprising the steps of,impacting the structure at a first test time at an impact point along the structure to create a first impact wave at the impact point, the first impact wave propagates through the girders away from the impact point to become a first transient response at a monitoring point,measuring the first transient response at the monitoring point,determining a first wave speed of the first impact wave traveling from the impact point to the monitoring point becoming the first transient response,repeating the impacting, measuring and determining steps at a second impact point at second test time to create a second impact wave and a respective second transient response for determining a second wave speed, the first test time being after construction of the structure, the second test time being after the first test time, the first and second transient responses are within a resonant frequency range of the structure, andcomparing the first wave speed to the second wave speed to determining a change in the structure indicating induced damage between the first test time and second test time.