Microwave reflection tomographic array for damage detection of civil structures

Abstract

Microwave tomographic imaging technology using a bifocusing operator has been developed in order to detect the internal voids/objects inside concrete structures. The imaging system consists of several cylindrical or planar array antennas for transmitting and receiving signals, and a numerical focusing operator is applied to the external signals both in transmitting and in receiving fields. An imaging algorithm using numerical focusing operator was developed, which allows the recovery of a two-dimensional object from its scattered field. Numerical simulation demonstrated that a subsurface image can be successfully reconstructed by using the proposed tomographic imaging technology. For the experimental verification, a prototype planar antenna array was fabricated and tested on a concrete specimen.