A novel strategy of concrete monitoring: The application of the integrated sensing element (ISE)

Abstract

This study strategically provides an innovative pattern for concrete monitoring at the service and deterioration stages by the integrated sensing element (ISE). The advantage of the ISE is that it can independently respond to loading variation and cooperate with other sensors. The results show that the ISE can independently identify the cracking state, monitor stress conditions, and distinguish the creep behavior of concrete with different compressive strength levels. By applying this novel monitoring pattern, the relationships between stress and relative velocity change (∆v/v) can be accurately traced; meanwhile, concrete with different creep degrees can be identified. Additionally, by tracing the de-correlation coefficients (Kd), this study also reveals that the binding behavior between sensors and concrete has a significant impact on signal variation. Specifically, the maximum Kd value derived from the signal of ISE at the loading process (46.5% of the maximum uniaxial compressive strength) is lower than 0.1, while that value derived from the signal of the conventional contact transducers can exceed 0.5. At a short-time fixed loading experiment, the Kd values derived from the signal of ISE show no significant increasing trend.