A new standing-wave testing system for bridge structure nondestructive damage detection using electromagnetic wave

Several data analysis algorithms exist for detecting damages in bridges; however, such algorithms only approximately locate the damaged areas. To increase the accuracy and sensitivity, a new nondestructive, standing-wave, bridge-testing system as well as algorithm is proposed. The proposed system sends 3.8-5.8 GHz modulated sweeping waves to an object, the input and reflected waves form a standing wave, which is used to check and evaluate the state of the object under examination. In comparison with other systems, the proposed system is compact and less expensive, and offers higher sensitivity, higher resolution, and higher accuracy. Simulations and experiments verified its effectiveness.