UNMET NEED
Information to characterize properties of piles used in land or marine foundations of civil engineering structures, such as bridges and buildings, is not always available. Missing, outdated, or inaccurate foundation plans make it difficult to determine initial properties. Additionally, the degradation of pile foundations affected by scouring or corrosion leads to accelerated damages.
Current measurement methods require either invasive and costly drilling along the length of the piles or involve the use of sensors placed on the accessible pile surfaces, but whose acoustic models remain imprecise and incomplete for carrying out an in-depth analysis.
More rapid, exhaustive and accurate methods are needed to identify degradations, enable effective monitoring of a structure’s service life, and allow the potential reuse of existing piles which can result in significant cost savings in the context of renovation and rehabilitation projects.
