Crack Width In Members Research Articles

Crack mapping in RC members using distributed coaxial cable crack sensors: modeling and application

The paper presents a model to calculate reinforcement strain using measured crack width in members under applied tension, flexure, and/or shear stress. Crack mapping using a new type of distributed coaxial cable sensors for health monitoring of large-scale civil engineering infrastructure was recently proposed and developed by the authors. This paper shows the results and performance of such sensors mounted on near surface of two flexural beams and a large scale reinforced concrete box girder that was subjected to cyclic combined shear and torsion. The main objectives of this health monitoring study was to correlate the sensor's response to strain in the member, and show that magnitude of the signal's reflection coefficient is related to increases in applied load, repeated cycles, cracking, and reinforcement yielding. The effect of multiple adjacent cracks, and signal loss was also investigated. The results shown in this paper are an important step in using the sensors for crack mapping and determining reinforcement strain for in-situ structures.