Monitoring capabilities of various smart self sensory carbon-based textiles to detect water infiltration

Abstract

The study investigates the capabilities of various configurations of self-sensory carbon-based textiles to detect and distinguish between the severity of water infiltration through cracked zones along textile reinforced concrete (TRC) elements. The investigation aims to explore whether an optimal smart textile configuration can improve the structural performance while providing sensitive sensory capabilities. Such an investigation is needed for the development of intelligent TRC structures. Specifically, the study experimentally investigates the effect of two types of bindings and the effect of coating on the mutual structural-sensory performances. The sensory concept is based on changes of the electrical mechanism of two adjacent carbon rovings due to infiltration of water through cracked zones. Eight TRC beam samples were cast and mechanically loaded up to cracking. The cracked zones were monitored, and each zone was separately examined by performing a wetting event. It is demonstrated that the type of binding and coating, which significantly affect the structural response, reflect and affect the measured electrical signal. It is found that there is a tradeoff mechanism between the structural response and the sensory capabilities. While specific textile configuration improves the structural performance, it may reduce its sensory capability to distinguish between the magnitude of water infiltration.

Roadmap on measurement technologies for next generation structural health monitoring systems

“…In such a configuration the same array of carbon rovings yields the reinforcement required for the load bearing system, and, at the same time, the sensory system. Demonstration of this concept has been presented in the literature for detecting mechanical loading [197][198][199][200], strain [201,202], cracking [203,204], or water infiltration [205,206]. In most of the above studies converting the carbon roving reinforcement system into a sensory one was a straightforward act, which did not require special devices or additional sensors that should be mounted externally or internally to the structural element.…”

“…The concept was demonstrated for various monitoring applications and various studies were explored the potential of the carbon-based textile to be used as a multifunctional system and to yield electrical measurements that can be correlated to integrative parameters of the structural state. The electrical connections were based on direct current (DC) electrical circuits by two-probe or four probe monitoring systems [197], Wheatstone bridge configurations [199,204], simple DC circuits [201] or by AC circuits [200,[205][206][207]. Although they proved the feasibility of the sensing concept for SHM purposes, several important challenges remain on the path to a useful multifunctional system.…”

Smart self-sensory TRC pipes—proof of concept

“…The obtained TRC structures are light, strong, and durable [27]. The smart selfsensory concept was successfully implemented for monitoring mechanical and structural behaviors [17][18][19][20][21][22][23] and for detecting water leakage within cracked zones [24][25][26]. The studies in the literature demonstrated the capabilities of the smart TRC system on relatively small-scale 1D beam specimens.…”

“…The technology of TRC has been used for the development of smart self-sensory systems [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]. The concept takes advantage of the electrical conductivity of the carbonbased reinforcement platform for the development of a hybrid sensory system.…”

Detecting Damaged Zones Along Smart Selfsensory Carbon Based TRC by TDR

“…The carbon rovings have a unique micro-structure, which is divided into two zones: the inner (core) filaments and external (sleeve) filaments [8,11,15]. The sleeve filaments break due to cracking, which yields changes in the electrical current density distribution along the roving.…”