Resumen
The main purpose of the current research is to pilot study the impact damage detection in a beam structure using infrared thermography. In this study, a beam structure, made of polyvinyl alcohol fiber reinforced engineering cementitious composite (PVA-ECC) was subjected to multiple low-velocity impacts at a constant energy level. After each impact, the structure was heated by means of halogen lamp, and acquisition of thermal images was conducted simultaneously. Sequences of thermal images were acquired with starting and ending time sets so as to include the entire evolution of thermal phenomenon, during both heating to cooling processes. Based on the relationship between the damage and the temperature variation under the thermal excitation, different damages in the impacted structures were analyzed in the thermographs. Through experimental investigation, the results demonstrated that different degrees of damage correspond to different infrared thermal characteristics. The generation and evolution of thermal signatures revealed the initiation and propagation of impact damages. It further illustrated that the proposed method is an innovative and effective approach to detect impact damage.