Application of Lock-In Thermography for Detecting Leakage Defects in Historic Masonry Arch Structures

Authors: Mohammed Fadhil Hama¹ & Ilham Ibrahim Mohammed^2
1Faculty of Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, Tishk International University Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
²Faculty of Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, Tishk International University Sulaymaniyah, Iraq

Abstract: Defects in masonry are difficult to detect with the naked eye. Non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques are one such ways to detect defects. One way to detect moisture is by using lock-in Infrared (IR) thermography technology. The main objective of this research is to detect a defect in masonry brick walls using infrared thermography camera. Infrared thermography tests were conducted in the laboratory on several experiments to understand time and temperature relationships. Tests were conducted on a masonry water tank with a known defect spot and were successfully detected from the thermography images. Two active approach methods were conducted: halogen lights and a heat gun. It has been shown that when using the heat-gun it is a quicker method according to the results. All procedures and methods performed in this report could be useful for field studies.

Keywords: Infrared Thermography, Non-destructive Defect Analysis, Masonry, Historic Structures, Defects, Image processing, Active Thermography

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doi: 10.23918/eajse.v7i1p134

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