Crack-based damage quantification for shear-critical HSRC column members using piezoceramic transducers

Abstract

This work uses six full-size specimens to investigate the use of piezoceramic transducers on the crack damage detection for the shear-critical high-strength reinforced concrete column members, which is known as the shear-critical HSRC column members in Taiwan. The column specimens are tested under cyclic loading with the displacement control to gradually damage the specimens with the double curvature bending. Additionally, the structural health monitoring (SHM) with piezoceramic transducers, including the sensors and actuators, are performed to investigate the relationship between the maximum residual crack width and damage index obtained from the piezoceramic transducers. For assessing the damage state of a shear-critical HSRC column member, energy- and amplitude-based damage indexes (DIs) obtained from the piezoceramic transducers are proposed herein. Additionally, based on the experiment results, this work also concludes the limiting values of the maximum residual crack widths for various damage levels of the shear-critical HSRC column members. Finally, in order to improve the practical use of SHM using piezoceramic transducers, a crack damage index is developed in this work to identify the maximum residual crack width and its corresponding damage level for a damaged shear-critical HSRC column member.