Abstract
In this paper, a piezoelectric sensor-embedded smart rock is proposed for the electromechanical impedance monitoring of internal concrete damage in a prestressed anchorage zone. Firstly, a piezoelectric sensor-embedded smart rock is analyzed for impedance monitoring in concrete structures. An impedance measurement model is analyzed for the PZT (lead zirconate titanate)-embedded smart rock under compression in a concrete member. Secondly, a prototype of the smart rock embedded with a PZT sensor is designed in order to ascertain, sensitively, the variations of the impedance signatures induced by concrete damage in an anchorage zone. Thirdly, the performance of the smart rock is estimated from a numerical analysis and experimental tests. Variations in the impedance signals under compressive test cases are analyzed in order to predetermine the sensitive frequency band for the impedance monitoring. Lastly, an experiment on an anchorage zone embedded with the smart rocks and surface-mounted PZT sensors is conducted for the impedance measurement under a series of loading cases. The impedance variations are quantified in order to comparatively evaluate the feasibility of the sensor-embedded smart rock for the detection of internal concrete damage in the anchorage zone. The results show that the internal concrete damage was successfully detected using the PZT-embedded smart rock, thus enabling the application of the technique for anchorage zone health monitoring.
Highlights
Prestressed concrete (PSC) has been widely used as critical members for bridge construction, thanks to its cost-effectiveness and crack-resistance over original reinforced concrete structures
Impedance-based damage detection in the anchorage zone using impedance features measured by PZT-embedded smart rock was presented
The impedance measurement model was designed for the impedance monitoring of the concrete member using the PZT-embedded smart rock
Summary
Prestressed concrete (PSC) has been widely used as critical members for bridge construction, thanks to its cost-effectiveness and crack-resistance over original reinforced concrete structures. In PSC bridges, anchorage zones have a vital function in carrying the designed prestress-force and transferring it into the structures. Considering timedependent effects, the structural performance of PSC members could gradually decline due to material deterioration, corrosion, and time-dependent prestress loss, leading to long-term deformation. Incipient concrete damage, which is often in the form of inner micro-cracks, could produce and amalgamate to induce surface cracks. When the inner cracks propagate onto the PSC members’ surfaces, material degradations could be significant due to environmental erosion. The detection of concrete cracks in PSC structures at the early stage is crucial in order to ensure structural integrity and reduce long-term maintenance costs
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