Following the completion of water tank foundation concrete works for the King Faisal Hospital Expansion project in Kigali, Rwanda, Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) testing was carried out on selected sections of the reinforced concrete, including the mat foundation and accessible side elevations, to assess the quality, uniformity, and integrity of the in-situ concrete.

The testing was undertaken to evaluate the internal condition of the concrete and to determine whether defects such as honeycombing, voids, cracks, segregation, or other non-homogeneous zones existed within the structure. The investigation also provided supporting information for structural quality assessment using non-destructive testing techniques.

Prior to UPV testing, rebar scanning was conducted across all designated test locations to map the reinforcement layout within the structural elements. The purpose of this was to identify and avoid direct placement of UPV transducers on reinforcing steel, as such contact can significantly influence pulse velocity readings and lead to artificially elevated results, thereby compromising the accuracy and reliability of the assessment. The scanned reinforcement information was therefore
used to guide selection of test points to ensure measurements were taken on representative concrete zones free from steel interference.