1. Visual Survey Tools Defect classification guide
Proformas, clip board and rubber bands
Pencil, rubber, pencil sharpener
Tape measure
Wax crayons
Hammer for drummy test
Pen knife, chipping hammer
pH indicator solution
Crack gauges
Camera
Binoculars
Torches
Chair
Breaker/Grinding Core Cutter
This is the standard visual inspectors kit. All obvious points except the chair. I always have a fold out plastic chair so that I can make myself comfortable and steady to do the visual inspection.

2. Grinding Core Cuts

3. Crack Measuring Deformation Meter
Crack width meter
10 reduction scales
Up to 5 mm width
Measuring magnifier
8 x magnification
Up to 15 mm width
Accuracy ± 0.05mm
Crack Monitor
Horizontal and vertical scales
For flat areas & corners
Accuracy ± 0.10mm
Fix with glue or screws
Part of the visual inspection kit also needs to be crack width measurements.
For the site inspctor the crack width meter is suitable. This type of gauge is often given away but our experience is that these are generall very inaccurate. These crack width meters are have a high level of quality control to ensure each batch is accurate. Their are several other gauges so that they can also be used for measuring larger sizes.
For the engineers a measuring magnifier is praobably more appropriate. It has 8x magnifcaion and can be focused. It has a scale with 0.1mm graduations.
The crack monitor can be simply glued to the structure across a crack. The 4 pins holding the two halves together are removed and the two halves move independently and the horizontal and vertical movement can be recorded.
For precise crack movement the dformation meter can be used. Plates are fixed to the concrete and the distance between a palte on either side of the crack is measured at intervals. The size and robustness of the plates make them somewaht easier to use than demec studs.
Deformation Meter
Cracks are measured at various times
Accuracies ± 0.001mm to ± 0.1mm
Analogue or digital display
5 mm max. crack width

4. Accuracy of Free Crack Comparitor
-40
-30
-20
-10 10 20 30
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9 1
1.5
Stated Crack Width (mm)
Error (%)