Performance of piezoceramic sensors

This study is in continuation of the previous research conducted at Ryerson University to develop a model for active monitoring of reinforced concrete members using piezo-ceramic sensor. In the previous research large concrete beam were investigated. The following study examines the performance of piezo-ceramic sensor to monitor maturity of concrete and to evaluate crack width of large base width concrete plates. Small scale beams and large scale slabs specimens were tested under three and four points bending respectively to evaluate the effectiveness of piezo-sensors at different failure modes. Test results from small scale beams were used to model correlation between concrete crack width/strains and sensor signals. The test result indicated that piezo-sensor can be used for active concrete strength monitoring at later stages. It can also be used as an effective indicator of crack width for reinforced concrete members with small base width.