Development of self-sensing cementitious composites by incorporating a two-dimensional carbon-fibre textile network for structural health monitoring

Abstract

Many challenges persist with traditional self-sensing cementitious composites, such as selecting conductive fillers, determining optimal aspect ratios, controlling dosage, achieving filler dispersion, designing practical electrodes, and overcoming fabrication difficulties. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel self-sensing technique for cementitious composites by incorporating a 2-dimensional (2-D) carbon-fibre textile network to address these challenges. Additionally, instead of using the entire composite volume as the sensor, an alternative approach is explored, which involves utilising the interlaminar interface by incorporating the 2-D carbon-fibre textile network. This approach provides an integrated self-sensing system, including electrical leads and conductive pathways, which can be tailored based on the design requirements. The paper introduces fundamental concepts and measurement circuit design, followed by a comprehensive study covering measurement techniques, electromechanical properties, and microstructural analysis. Furthermore, it discusses the impact of ambient conditions, such as temperature and relative humidity, on the measurements. Experimental results demonstrate a remarkable maximum fractional change in contact resistivity, reaching up to 70%. The reversibility during cyclic compression is excellent, with a maximum negative gauge factor of − 2500. These findings represent a significant step toward achieving a practical and simplified method for manufacturing self-sensing cementitious composites and open avenues for self-sensing, sustainable textile-reinforced concrete structures (TRC).