Abstract
The last three decades have witnessed the construction of vast infrastructural facilities, especially from reinforced concrete (RC), in many parts of the world. This has necessitated the development of automated, real-time and online structural health monitoring systems, which can provide a cost-effective alternative to the traditional visual inspection. This paper discusses the feasibility of employing mechatronic conductance signatures of surface bonded piezoelectric-ceramic (PZT) patches in monitoring the conditions of RC structures subjected to base vibrations, such as those caused by earthquakes and underground blasts. Specifically, flexural and shear cracks, two prominent types of incipient damages in RC structures, were considered. The PZT patches were found to be able to identify both damage types much earlier than the conventional low frequency dynamic response techniques. Therefore, the PZT patches can be potentially employed to monitor the health of RC frames, which constitute the main skeletons of most large civil structures.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.