The measurement of the material properties of building structures

Conventional methods for determining the properties of building materials by the measurement of the longitudinal wavespeed suffer from the disadvantage that the measurements can only be carried out in localised parts of the building, usually through the thickness of the wall. The techniques, although non-destructive, may mark decorative finishes.Similar methods have been used to obtain the wavespeed from low frequency pulses which may be used in all parts of the structure without damage. The technique is very simple and the results are accurate. The simplicity of the technique makes the method suitable for many applications.