Structural Health Monitoring of Reinforced Concrete Structures with Advanced Concrete Mixtures

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Structural performance and health assessment of reinforced concrete structures is an essential requirement throughout the designed service lifetime of the structures, especially when they are constructed with relatively new concrete mixtures. Acoustic emission (AE) monitoring is a well-established technique that has been successfully employed in the non-destructive assessment of concrete structures. This method has shown its effectiveness in early damage prognosis/diagnosis in concrete materials/structures exposed to various damage mechanisms. However, the feasibility of using AE methodology in continuous structural health monitoring (SHM) systems needs better understanding and further development. This is particularly important when monitoring structures with variable concrete materials that can lead to different wave propagation characteristics and consequently affect the AE data. The sensitivity of AE monitoring to the changes in loading conditions and temperature/humidity variations also requires further investigation. ***There is very limited information available in the literature regarding AE monitoring in concrete structures subjected to different loading and weathering conditions, especially when advanced concrete mixtures are investigated. The proposed research program aims to utilize an SHM system based on AE techniques to evaluate the short- and long-term performance of reinforced concrete structures constructed with modern developed concrete mixtures under a variety of loading conditions. The developed concrete mixtures in this research program will include fibre-reinforced lightweight self-consolidating concrete (FRLWSCC), self-consolidating rubberized concrete (SCRC), and fibre-reinforced self-consolidating rubberized concrete (FRSCRC). The impact of different concrete types, mixture proportions, loading types, sensor locations, and specimen sizes on the collected AE data from continuous SHM of reinforced concrete elements will be examined and quantified in this research. The influence of varying temperature/humidity on the performance of the produced mixtures and the corresponding AE signals will also be examined. The research will address important gaps in the development of advanced concrete mixtures and will contribute to the improvement of AE monitoring. The research will also provide a unique environment for training of HQP in fundamental and applied research. The results of this research will contribute to the body of knowledge of both AE monitoring and advanced concrete technology. The outcomes of this project will increase the technology development and design capability in Canada by extending the facility operating lifetime and improving the safe and design efficiency of concrete structures.