Multifunctional Cement Composites for Structural Health Monitoring

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2021) | Viewed by 21068

Special Issue Editors

Advanced Railroad Civil Engineering Divisioin, Korea Railroad Research Institute, 176 Cheoldobangmulgwan-ro, Uiwang, Gyeonggi-do 16105, Korea
Interests: structural analysis; cement-based sensor; multifunctional cement composites; numerical modeling and simulation; prognostics and health management (PHM); railway engineering
Department of Architectural Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
Interests: high-impact-resistant and energy-absorbent ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC); self-sensing cement-based materials; analytical tools for post-cracking tensile behavior of UHPC based on micromechanics and fracture mechanics; strainrate effect; low-cost UHPC with hybrid reinforcing methods using micro- and macrofibers
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As the concrete infrastructure grows in size and ages as well, the demand for structural health monitoring (SHM) and prognoses that can evaluate and predict the service life of concrete structures increases rapidly. Concrete infrastructure requires more maintenance than steel structures because of its nonhomogeneous material characteristics. Numerous methodologies for SHM of concrete structures have been studied. This Special Issue aims to address the current progress of SHM using multifunctional cement composites. Papers are invited that investigate innovative technologies for cement-based sensors highlighting the latest scientific understanding of material characteristics. Topics may include studies on multifunctional fillers, dispersion technologies, fabrication and self-sensing properties using piezoresistivity characteristics of cement composites with multifunctional fillers. Moreover, papers are welcome that deal with numerical analysis using special techniques, such as the multiscale method. A structural application with experimental verification for an actual environment is also very welcome.

Keywords

  • multifunctional cement composites
  • structural health monitoring
  • concrete infrastructures
  • functional fillers
  • intrinsic self-sensing property
  • electrical resistivity

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2988 KiB  
Article
Development of a Novel Concrete Curing Method Using Induction Heating System
by Chi-Hyung Ahn, Jinbok Lee, Dong-Jin Kim and Hyun-Oh Shin
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(1), 236; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11010236 - 29 Dec 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3219
Abstract
This study aimed to develop an accelerated concrete curing method based on induction heating (IH) technology. The proposed curing method provides improved heating efficiency and safety since it directly heats only the metallic forms in a non-contacting manner. It also has the advantage [...] Read more.
This study aimed to develop an accelerated concrete curing method based on induction heating (IH) technology. The proposed curing method provides improved heating efficiency and safety since it directly heats only the metallic forms in a non-contacting manner. It also has the advantage of being capable of heating the concrete according to a desirable heating scenario. The effects of several parameters on its performance were evaluated using a finite element method (FEM)-based thermal analysis and heating performance tests. The FEM analysis revealed the steel form to be appropriate for the IH system. The analysis also revealed that equally spaced three-turn coils yielded increased temperature uniformity in the steel form, which was verified by results of the steel form heating experiments. Furthermore, the minimum temperature generated in the form was sufficient for concrete curing. The efficiency of the use of IH for concrete curing and the effects of curing parameters were further investigated through compression tests after applications of various curing methods and by examining the temperature distributions during curing. The test results revealed early strength development even under water freezing conditions. This demonstrated the effectiveness of IH for concrete curing in cold weather. However, the efficiency decreased when the cross-sectional dimension of the specimen increased. The test results also verified that the maximum temperature and duration of induction heat curing affect the early age strength of concrete. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Cement Composites for Structural Health Monitoring)
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13 pages, 2300 KiB  
Article
Influence of Carbon Fiber Incorporation on Electrical Conductivity of Cement Composites
by Ilhwan You, Seung-Jung Lee, Goangseup Zi and Daehyun Lim
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(24), 8993; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10248993 - 16 Dec 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2003
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of carbon fiber (CF) length, electrode spacing, and probe configuration on the electrical conductivity of cement composites. Accordingly, 57 different types of samples were prepared, considering three different CF lengths, five different CF contents, three different electrode spacings, [...] Read more.
This study investigated the effects of carbon fiber (CF) length, electrode spacing, and probe configuration on the electrical conductivity of cement composites. Accordingly, 57 different types of samples were prepared, considering three different CF lengths, five different CF contents, three different electrode spacings, and two different probe configurations. This research found that the influence of CF length on the electrical resistivity of cement composite depends electrode spacing. For the cement composite with wide electrode spacing of 40 mm, its resistivity decreased as increasing CF length as in the previous study. However, when the electrode spacing is 10 mm, which is narrow (10 mm), the resistivity of the cement composite rather increased with increasing CF length. The results implied that when an electrode is designed for the cement composite incorporating CF, the CF length should be short compared to the electrode spacing. The percolation threshold of CF measured by the two-probe configuration was 2% or more. This is higher than that measured by the four-probe configuration (1%). At a lower CF content than 2%, the two-probe configuration gave higher resistivity of the cement composite than the four-probe configuration. However, the difference coming from the different probe configurations was marginal as increasing the CF content. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Cement Composites for Structural Health Monitoring)
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13 pages, 4741 KiB  
Article
Influence of Powder and Liquid Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes on Hydration and Dispersion of the Cementitious Composites
by Gun-Cheol Lee, Youngmin Kim and Seongwon Hong
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(21), 7948; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10217948 - 09 Nov 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2029
Abstract
Two types of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), powder and liquid, were added to cementitious composites to build self-sensing concrete. To properly evaluate and quantify the effect of MWCNTs on electrical resistance, various tests, including isothermal conduction calorimetry, were carried out. One of primary [...] Read more.
Two types of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), powder and liquid, were added to cementitious composites to build self-sensing concrete. To properly evaluate and quantify the effect of MWCNTs on electrical resistance, various tests, including isothermal conduction calorimetry, were carried out. One of primary issues of self-monitoring concrete is dispersion, so ultrasonication was used to properly mix the CNTs in the dispersion solution, and silica fume was employed to make the specimens. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, and porosity analyses were performed to investigate the physical properties of the composites and to confirm uniform dispersion. The distance of the electrical resistance was also measured, and the dosages and types of MWCNTs were analyzed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Cement Composites for Structural Health Monitoring)
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23 pages, 9208 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Site-Specific Design Spectrum on Earthquake-Building Parameters: A Case Study from the Marmara Region (NW Turkey)
by Ercan Işık, Aydın Büyüksaraç, Yunus Levent Ekinci, Mehmet Cihan Aydın and Ehsan Harirchian
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(20), 7247; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10207247 - 16 Oct 2020
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 6991
Abstract
The Marmara Region (NW Turkey) has experienced significant earthquakes (M > 7.0) to date. A destructive earthquake is also expected in the region. To determine the effect of the specific design spectrum, eleven provinces located in the region were chosen according to the [...] Read more.
The Marmara Region (NW Turkey) has experienced significant earthquakes (M > 7.0) to date. A destructive earthquake is also expected in the region. To determine the effect of the specific design spectrum, eleven provinces located in the region were chosen according to the Turkey Earthquake Building Code updated in 2019. Additionally, the differences between the previous and updated regulations of the country were investigated. Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) and Peak Ground Velocity (PGV) were obtained for each province by using earthquake ground motion levels with 2%, 10%, 50%, and 68% probability of exceedance in 50-year periods. The PGA values in the region range from 0.16 to 0.7 g for earthquakes with a return period of 475 years. For each province, a sample of a reinforced-concrete building having two different numbers of stories with the same ground and structural characteristics was chosen. Static adaptive pushover analyses were performed for the sample reinforced-concrete building using each province’s design spectrum. The variations in the earthquake and structural parameters were investigated according to different geographical locations. It was determined that the site-specific design spectrum significantly influences target displacements for performance-based assessments of buildings due to seismicity characteristics of the studied geographic location. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Cement Composites for Structural Health Monitoring)
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18 pages, 661 KiB  
Article
A Machine Learning Framework for Assessing Seismic Hazard Safety of Reinforced Concrete Buildings
by Ehsan Harirchian, Vandana Kumari, Kirti Jadhav, Rohan Raj Das, Shahla Rasulzade and Tom Lahmer
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(20), 7153; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10207153 - 14 Oct 2020
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 4447
Abstract
Although averting a seismic disturbance and its physical, social, and economic disruption is practically impossible, using the advancements in computational science and numerical modeling shall equip humanity to predict its severity, understand the outcomes, and equip for post-disaster management. Many buildings exist amidst [...] Read more.
Although averting a seismic disturbance and its physical, social, and economic disruption is practically impossible, using the advancements in computational science and numerical modeling shall equip humanity to predict its severity, understand the outcomes, and equip for post-disaster management. Many buildings exist amidst the developed metropolitan areas, which are senile and still in service. These buildings were also designed before establishing national seismic codes or without the introduction of construction regulations. In that case, risk reduction is significant for developing alternatives and designing suitable models to enhance the existing structure’s performance. Such models will be able to classify risks and casualties related to possible earthquakes through emergency preparation. Thus, it is crucial to recognize structures that are susceptible to earthquake vibrations and need to be prioritized for retrofitting. However, each building’s behavior under seismic actions cannot be studied through performing structural analysis, as it might be unrealistic because of the rigorous computations, long period, and substantial expenditure. Therefore, it calls for a simple, reliable, and accurate process known as Rapid Visual Screening (RVS), which serves as a primary screening platform, including an optimum number of seismic parameters and predetermined performance damage conditions for structures. In this study, the damage classification technique was studied, and the efficacy of the Machine Learning (ML) method in damage prediction via a Support Vector Machine (SVM) model was explored. The ML model is trained and tested separately on damage data from four different earthquakes, namely Ecuador, Haiti, Nepal, and South Korea. Each dataset consists of varying numbers of input data and eight performance modifiers. Based on the study and the results, the ML model using SVM classifies the given input data into the belonging classes and accomplishes the performance on hazard safety evaluation of buildings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Cement Composites for Structural Health Monitoring)
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13 pages, 4914 KiB  
Article
A Study on Conversion Fraction and Carbonation of Pozzolan Blended Concrete through 29Si MAS NMR Analysis
by Jung J. Kim, Kwang-Soo Youm and Jiho Moon
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(19), 6855; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10196855 - 29 Sep 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1744
Abstract
The object of this paper is to investigate the carbonation resistance of concretes containing different pozzolanic materials. Three concrete mixtures that included fly ash, silica fume, and nanosilica were prepared, and the mixtures were designed to have similar mechanical properties to exclude the [...] Read more.
The object of this paper is to investigate the carbonation resistance of concretes containing different pozzolanic materials. Three concrete mixtures that included fly ash, silica fume, and nanosilica were prepared, and the mixtures were designed to have similar mechanical properties to exclude the effect of mechanical properties on the carbonation. These pozzolanic materials in concretes have different silicate contents and grain size distributions. Rapid carbonation tests were conducted to investigate the durability of pozzolan blended concretes for carbonation, and the carbonation depth was measured at one, two, four, and eight weeks after 28-day water curing. 29Si NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) experiments were performed, and the conversion fractions for each pozzolan blended concrete were extracted. The degree of carbonation was also assessed based on the Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Cement Composites for Structural Health Monitoring)
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