Structural health monitoring of slab-column connections using FBG sensors

Abstract

Health monitoring of reinforced concrete structures is a very important technique to maintain structural integrity. Early detection of damage can save lives and costly repairs. The information obtained from monitoring is generally used to plan and design maintenance activities, increase the safety, verify hypotheses, and reduce uncertainty. The current research is focused on the development and optimization of a structural health monitoring concept to detect damage initiation for slab-column connections. The research objective is to detect, localize and quantify flexural (service) cracks and shear cracks in slab-column connections. The experimental program is divided into three phases. The first phase is focused on detection of flexural cracks using embedded fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. Detection of flexural cracks includes the initiation of first crack as well as the initial crack width. The second phase is focused on mapping of crack patterns using FBG sensors arrays. The last phase of the experimental work includes detection and localization of shear cracks as well as quantification of high compressive (bearing) zones using three-dimensional configuration of FBG sensor arrays. The current research presents the first phase of the experimental work. Test results revealed that embedded FBG sensors exhibited excellent performance and it was able to monitor the width and location of the first crack.