Techniques and equipment for assessing the structural integrity of subterranean tower anchor rods
US6311565A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 11, 1999 |
| Grant date | Nov 6, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 11, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2291/269
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Techniques and equipment for evaluating structural integrity of buried anchor rods in situ are disclosed. The techniques avoid excavation of soil and avoid, or at least reduce, the possibility of damage to the rods or the concrete in which they may be embedded when evaluations are conducted. Instead, ultrasonic energy is transmitted through the rod from a portable transducer, and returned energy (in either or both of direct and mode-converted states) may be analyzed to assist in detecting flaws, corrosion, wastage, or other degradation of the rod. Data from a field evaluation may be compared with baseline data maintained either for a specific rod or for rods of similar composition and length (or both), and periodic field evaluations of a rod may be used to analyze trends in its structure over time.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.