Abstract
This paper presents the structural and damage assessment of a reinforced concrete (RC) beam subjected to a four-point bending test until yielding of reinforcing steel. The deterioration progress was monitored using different nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques. The strain was measured by distributed fiber optic sensors (FOSs), embedded prior to concrete pouring. The initiation and propagation of cracks were monitored by acoustic emission (AE) sensors attached to the surface of the material. The recorded AE activity results in good agreement with FOS strain measurements. The results of the integrated monitoring system are confirmed by visual observation of the actual crack pattern. At different loading steps, digital image correlation (DIC) analysis was also conducted.
Highlights
During their service life structural elements can experience variable and increasing demand conditions
Reinforced concrete (RC) components can develop cracking due to tensile conditions that are normally absorbed by steel reinforcements
Vertical load behavior has been in applied in load multiple steps up to the yielding limit of reinforcinginbars, and4
Summary
During their service life structural elements can experience variable and increasing demand conditions (e.g., traffic increase in transportation infrastructures). Cracking can lead to the exposure of the steel bars to the aggression of external agents, such as chlorides, triggering corrosion and strength losses In this incremental risk scenario for existing infrastructures, the role of the structural health monitoring (SHM) becomes crucial in order to detect unusual behaviors and damage [1,2,3]. FOSs can be used in aggressive environments, they show geometric adaptability, independence from electrical and magnetic field interference, and high resolution [5] These characteristics make them excellent for implementation in the civil engineering field to detect anomalies and cracks in static conditions, while, in dynamic conditions, they can be used to assess modal parameters [6,7,8]
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