Reinforced Concrete Foundation Remote Monitoring

This project investigated whether it is possible to remotely monitor reinforced concrete foundations for the purpose of corrosion detection. The focus of the project was on identifying and investigating a technology that could provide both the delivery of energy to, and communications with, embedded sensors without the additional installation of wiring. A radio frequency propagation technique that uses the reinforcing steel as a single wire transmission line was identified as the most appropriate candidate, and experiments were designed to determine its usefulness. Baseline experiments conducted at 2.4 GHz in air were successful and demonstrated that the designed interfacing couplers and impedance matching circuits were adequate. However, when the medium was changed to concrete, the attenuation was too severe to support either energy harvesting or communications. Reducing the operating frequency to 8 kHz and modifying the interface provided only slight improvement. Given the successful results when operated in air, it may be possible to transfer the technology to monitoring existing open-air steel structures such as bridges and towers. In addition, it may be possible to adapt the approach for use in reinforced concrete foundations that include concentric reinforcing steel structures that could be used as a two-wire circuit for both energy harvesting and communications.

• Record URL:
  • https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/research/reports/fdot-bdv34-977-09-rpt.pdf
• 
• Summary URL:
  • https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/research/reports/fdot-bdv34-977-09-sum.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/65651
• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/65650
• Corporate Authors:

  University of North Florida, Jacksonville

  1 UNF Drive
  Jacksonville, FL  United States  32224

  Florida Department of Transportation

  605 Suwannee Street
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32399-0450
• Authors:
  • Kopp, Brian
  • Aceros, Juan
  • El Safty, Adel K
• Publication Date: 2018-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 57p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Condition surveys; Corrosion; Data communications; Energy transfer; Foundations; Reinforced concrete; Remote sensing; Transmission lines
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01709428
• Record Type: Publication
• Contract Numbers: BDV34-977-09
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jun 27 2019 2:54PM