Digital Hammering Inspection for Social Infrastructure

Although conventional hammering inspection remains a standard practice across various industries, its effectiveness is often limited by a heavy reliance on the inspector’s subjective skill, leading to qualitative and inconsistent results. To address these limitations, this study introduces a digital hammering inspection system integrated with Acoustic Emission (AE) sensors, designed for enhanced quality control and long-term aging management. The system has been extensively implemented in the diagnostic evaluation of social infrastructure, encompassing both metallic and concrete structures, including various anchor systems, guardrail supports, and concrete bridge components. By leveraging the principles of natural vibration, the system demonstrates the potential to provide an objective, quantitative, and recordable screening process that may help reduce human error and facilitate high-speed data acquisition. Furthermore, its lightweight design and portability may facilitate field application, enabling on-site diagnostics with the potential to be applied across diverse engineering environments.