Milad Hallaji

Electrical impedance tomography-based sensing skin for quantitative imaging of damage in concrete

This paper outlines the development of a large-area sensing skin for damage detection in concrete structures. The developed sensing skin consists of a thin layer of electrically conductive copper paint that is applied to the surface of the concrete. Cracking of the concrete substrate results in the rupture of the sensing skin, decreasing its electrical conductivity locally. The decrease in conductivity is detected with electrical impedance tomography (EIT) imaging. In previous works, electrically based sensing skins have provided only qualitative information on the damage on the substrate surface. In this paper, we study whether quantitative imaging of the damage is possible. We utilize application-specific models and computational methods in the image reconstruction, including a total variation (TV) prior model for the damage and an approximate correction of the modeling errors caused by the inhomogeneity of the painted sensing skin. The developed damage detection method is tested experimentally by applying the sensing skin to polymeric substrates and a reinforced concrete beam under four-point bending. In all test cases, the EIT-based sensing skin provides quantitative information on cracks and/or other damages on the substrate surface: featuring a very low conductivity in the damage locations, and a reliable indication of the lengths and shapes of the cracks. The results strongly support the applicability of the painted EIT-based sensing skin for damage detection in reinforced concrete elements and other substrates.

Three-Dimensional Electrical Impedance Tomography to Monitor Unsaturated Moisture Ingress in Cement-Based Materials

The development of tools to monitor unsaturated moisture flow in cement-based material is of great importance, as most degradation processes in cement-based materials take place in the presence of moisture. In this paper, the feasibility of electrical impedance tomography (EIT) to monitor three-dimensional (3D) moisture flow in mortar containing fine aggregates is investigated. In the experiments, EIT measurements are taken during moisture ingress in mortar, using electrodes attached on the outer surface of specimens. For EIT, the so-called difference imaging scheme is adopted to reconstruct the change of the 3D electrical conductivity distribution within a specimen caused by the ingress of water into mortar. To study the ability of EIT to detect differences in the rate of ingress, the experiment is performed using plain water and with water containing a viscosity-modifying agent yielding a slower flow rate. To corroborate EIT, X-ray computed tomography (CT) and simulations of unsaturated moisture flow are carried out. While X-ray CT shows contrast with respect to background only in highly saturated regions, EIT shows the conductivity change also in the regions of low degree of saturation. The results of EIT compare well with simulations of unsaturated moisture flow. Moreover, the EIT reconstructions show a clear difference between the cases of water without and with the viscosity-modifying agent and demonstrate the ability of EIT to distinguish between different flow rates.

A functionally layered sensing skin for the detection of corrosive elements and cracking

In this paper, we propose an electrical impedance tomography (EIT)-based multifunctional surface sensing system, or sensing skin, for structural health monitoring. More specifically, the EIT-based sensing skin is developed for detecting and localizing the ingress of chlorides and cracking: two phenomena which are of concern in many structures, including reinforced concrete structures. The multifunctional sensing skin is made of two layers: one layer is sensitive to both chlorides and cracking, and the other layer is sensitive to cracking only. In the experiments, the sensing skin is tested on a polymeric and concrete substrate. The results demonstrate the feasibility of using the multifunctional multi-layer sensing skin for detecting and localizing corrosive elements and cracking, and for distinguishing between them.

Electrical Impedance Tomography-based Sensing Skin for Structural Health Monitoring

In this paper, we develop a multi-layer multi-functional electrical impedance tomography-based sensing skin. This sensing skin is made of two layers. The electrical conductivity of one layer changes due to cracking and the presence of chloride ions, while the electrical conductivity of the other layer changes only due to cracking. We monitor the local change in conductivity of each layer with Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT). This sensing skin enables detection and differentiation of both cracking and the presence of chloride ions. We apply this sensing skin to concrete substrate. The results indicate that the developed technology can be potentially used for health monitoring of critical infrastructure systems where cracking and leakage of certain ions might be of concern. doi: 10.12783/SHM2015/381