• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.217-224
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• 2016

This paper presents a new technique for monitoring the concrete curing process using embedded piezoelectric transducers via admittance measurements. When a piezoelectric transducer is embedded in a structure, the electrical impedance (admittance) of the transducer is coupled with the mechanical impedance of the host structure, which allows monitoring of the structural condition. In this study, the admittance signatures are used for monitoring the concrete curing process. This new method is based on an admittance-based sensor diagnostic process, in which the capacitance values of the piezoelectric transducers are dependent on the strength of the host structure. We numerically and experimentally investigated the variations in capacitive value during the curing process. The results demonstrate that there is a clear relationship between the concrete curing status and the slope, this indicates that the proposed method could be efficiently used for monitoring the curing status of a concrete structure.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.441-442
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• 2010

Recently, it is a trend to construct high rise buildings or wide-span bridges by using High Strength Concrete (HSC). But the HSC is going to be susceptible to brittle fractures if it has not taken enough curing process. Therefore, this study proposes a real-time online monitoring technology using piezoelectric sensors for more reliable and economical monitoring of the curing process of the HSC.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.501-508
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• 2007

This paper presents the feasibility of using electromechanical impedance based active sensing technique for nondestructive strength gain monitoring of early-age concrete by employing piezoelectric lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) patches on concrete surface. The strength development of early age concrete is actively monitored by performing a series of experiments on concrete specimens under moist curing condition. The electrical admittance signatures are acquired for five different curing ages and compared with each other. The resonant frequency shifts of PZT patches with increasing days is observed which is on account of additional stiffening due to strength gain of concrete during curing and level of stiffening being related to strength obtained from compression tests on companion cylinder specimens. The proposed approach is found to be suitable for monitoring the development of compressive strength in early-age concrete. It is also observed in this study that root mean square deviation (RMSD) in admittance signatures of the PZT patches can also be used as an indicator of concrete strength development.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.97-103
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• 2006

A modified one-sided measurement technique is proposed for Rayleigh wave (R-wave) velocity measurement in concrete. The scattering from heterogeneity may affect the waveforms of R-waves in concrete, which may make the R-waves dispersive. Conventional one-sided techniques do not consider the scattering dispersion of R-waves in concrete. In this study, the maximum energy arrival concept is adopted to determine the wave velocity by employing its continuous wavelet transform. Experimental study was performed to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. The present method is applied to monitor the strength development of early-age concrete. A series of experiments were performed on early-age concrete specimens with various curing conditions. Results reveal that the proposed method can be effectively used to measure the R-wave velocity in concrete structures and to monitor the strength development of early-age concrete.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.219-224
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• 2011

In this study, a piezoelectric smart sensor that can be embedded inside of concrete structures is developed to investigate the early stage of concrete curing. A waterproof coating is used to protect the piezoelectric sensor from moistures of concrete mixture. Also, a mortar case is utilized to encapsulate the sensor to protect it from impact loads. To estimate the strength of concrete, a self-sense guided-wave actuated sensing technique is applied. In the guided wave, its velocity is varied according to the mechanical properties of concrete such as modulus of elasticity. Because modulus of elasticity directly affects the strength of concrete, the guidedwave's velocity also affects the concrete strength development. To verify the feasibility of using the proposed approach, the smart sensor was embedded into a 100MPa concrete cylinder and the self-sense guided wave is continuously measured throughout the curing process. The measurements showed that the propagation time (TOF) of the measured guided waves gradually decreased as the curing age increased. Especially, at the early age of the curing process, the variation of the TOF was very significant. Furthermore, the results showed that there is a linear relationship between the TOF of the self-sense guided waves and the strength of concrete existed. It is safe to conclude that the proposed approach can be used very effectively in monitoring of the strength development of high strength concrete structures.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.287-297
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• 2014

Heat of hydration of mass concrete is one of the most important factors that significantly affect structural quality and construction period. Therefore, appropriate methods to control heat of hydration are essential technologies for mass concrete construction. In this study, probability of thermal cracking was checked by thermal analysis prior to the construction of a turbine foundation in a domestic power plant. Subsequently, changes of concrete mix proportion and an effective curing method were proposed to control heat of hydration of mass concrete structures. Concrete manufactured by slag cement was proposed instead of concrete produced by ordinary Portland cement, and an automated curing method was proposed to improve the curing method using typical moist curing with blanket. The automated curing method maintains the temperature difference between center and surface of concrete below a setting value by temperature monitoring. Concrete with slag cement was used for actual construction. One of two identical turbine foundations was cured by an insulated curing method, and the other was cured by the automated curing method to compare the curing methods. And then, the effects of control of heat of hydration were evaluated based on temperature/strain monitoring and crack investigations.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2012.11a
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• pp.173-175
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• 2012

Temperature during concrete curing can be effectively used to predict the early age strength of concrete However, various current methods have limits to provide the temperature data in real time due to harsh working environment including frequent cutting of wires. This paper presents the results of our investigation of an all-in-one Wireless sensor network (WSN) for the management of the curing temperature of in-placed concrete at early curing stages. Also, the network device for transmission can be easily separated from the probe sensor part and reused consistently. The field experiment entailed measuring the curing temperature of concrete using the WSN. After fresh concrete was poured into the formworks, the signals were measured at a 150 m radius from the field office. The signal was acquired for 28 days without any dispersion or interruption at the construction site; therefore, this study confirms the applicability of the proposed system to a construction site.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.367-376
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• 2018

This study reports the results of nondestructive monitoring of macro void developments in mortars manufactured with both ordinary Portland cement and sulfate resistant cement. Two types of curing were utilized; tap water curing and another curing environment that contains 5% $Na_2(SO_4)$ solution. Being the primary objective of this study, macro void developments of the mortar specimens were monitored by X-ray Medical Computerized Tomography. Compressive strength tests and water absorption tests were conducted on specimens that were kept in both curing environments for a duration of 560 days. Data analyses yielded consistent results among the three tests used in this experimental study. Macro void ratios of mortars decreased at the beginning of experiments for a certain period; afterwards, macro void ratios increased. The objective of this study was accomplished as anticipated since X-CT image analysis was able to nondestructively monitor macro void development process in cement mortars.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 1999.04a
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• pp.469-474
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• 1999

The object of study is analysis to joint crack behavior of cracked joint concrete pavement. In the new constructing concrete pavement, joint crack behavior was compared general joint depth D/4 with joint depth D/3 and D/5 that it's environmental effects changed temperature and humidity. After joint saw cutting joint section was predicted crack at joint depth D/5 test section from the result for monitoring development of crack. In the setting of data logger system of the joint section, it's data compared see with the naked eye. In the research, development of crack at the joint section should effect to joint saw timing latter than joint depth. This performance could be the minimum of deterioration to the early curing. In this research, At new constructing of joint concrete pavement of highway, the monitoring system be setting after finished paving and joint sawing. The system and see with the naked eye could be analysis to pavement behaviors from collecting data at the test section. This system could be monitoring shot term and long term. In this report, joint section of crack behavior analysis used to collected data during a month after paving and joint sawing.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.293-306
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• 2023

This study proposes and demonstrates a smart monitoring system that uses transmission lines embedded in a reinforced concrete structure to detect the presence of defects through changes in the electromagnetic waves generated and measured by a time-domain reflectometer. Laboratory experiments were first conducted to identify the presence of voids in steel-concrete composite columns. The results indicated that voids in the concrete caused a positive signal reflection, and the amplitude of this signal decreased as the water content of the soil in the void increased. Multiple voids resulted in a decrease in the amplitude of the signal reflected at each void, effectively identifying their presence despite amplitude reduction. Furthermore, the electromagnetic wave velocity increased when voids were present, decreased as the water content of the soil in the voids increased, and increased with the water-cement ratio and curing time. Field experiments were then conducted using bored piles with on-center (sound) and off-center (defective) steel-reinforcement cage alignments. The results indicated that the signal amplitude in the defective pile section, where the off-center cage was poorly covered with concrete, was greater than that in the pile sections where the cage was completely covered with concrete. The crosshole sonic logging results for the same defective bored pile failed to identify an off-center cage alignment defect. Therefore, this study demonstrates that electromagnetic waves can be a useful tool for monitoring the health and integrity of reinforced concrete structures.