Mohammad Pour-Ghaz

Water Absorption and Critical Degree of Saturation Relating to Freeze-Thaw Damage in Concrete Pavement Joints

Fluid ingress is a primary factor that influences freeze-thaw damage in concrete. This paper discusses the influence of fluid ingress on freeze-thaw damage development. Specifically, this paper examines the influence of entrained air content on the rate of water absorption, the degree of saturation, and the relationship between the saturation level and freeze-thaw damage. The results indicate that whereas air content delays the time it takes for concrete to reach a critical degree of saturation it will not prevent the freeze-thaw damage from occurring. The results of the experiments show that when the degree of saturation exceeds 86–88%, freeze-thaw damage is inevitable with or without entrained air even with very few freeze-thaw cycles.

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.

Application of Frequency Selective Circuits for Crack Detection in Concrete Elements

Recent research has demonstrated that cracking can be monitored in concrete using conductive surface elements. One complication with using conductive surface elements is that each element requires a separate data acquisition channel. To overcome this hurdle, a frequency selective circuit (FSC) has been developed to rapidly and simultaneously interrogate the response of multiple conductive surface elements. The response of the FSC is analyzed using numerical methods and the use of the FSC is demonstrated using a pilot study in which conductive surface coatings were used to simultaneously monitor the time of cracking of multiple restrained concrete rings. Results indicate that the FSC can be used to monitor a large number of surface coating elements. This technology could be extended to other resistance based sensors. The FSC approach has the potential to be used for health monitoring of infrastructure elements where a large number of sensors are used.

Wireless Crack Detection in Concrete Elements Using Conductive Surface Sensors and Radio Frequency Identification Technology

This paper describes the results of an experimental study that uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to detect cracking in concrete elements. A RFID-based sensor is used to monitor the change in electrical resistance that occurs in conductive materials applied to the surface of the concrete. When the concrete substrate is strained, the conductive material at the surface is stretched, and its electrical resistance increases. If the concrete substrate is strained to the point where it cracks, the conductive material at the surface also cracks, causing its electrical resistance to increase by orders of magnitude. This paper describes how this increase in electrical resistance attributable to cracking can be detected wirelessly by RFID technology. To experimentally illustrate the application of this technology, an RFID-based sensor and conductive surface materials are used to detect cracking in the restrained ring test. The experimental results indicate that this technology can be easily implemented and successfully used for wireless crack detection in concrete and reinforced concrete members. The technology that is described in this paper is not limited to the laboratory environment and can be easily extended to field applications.

Restrained Shrinkage Cracking in Concrete Elements: Role of Substrate Bond on Crack Development

Several specimen geometries have been used to assess restrained shrinkage-cracking behavior of concrete materials. This paper used a series of restrained slab tests to illustrate the importance of specimen geometry on the restrained shrinkage cracking behavior. While restraint was provided along the base of the slab, a portion of the slab was left unbonded to the base in the center of the specimen. The length of this unbonded portion was varied to demonstrate its impact on the age of cracking and crack width that occurred. The age of cracking was measured using visual analysis, image analysis, conductive surface coating, and acoustic emission. Whereas image analysis and conductive paint detect cracks only after they appear on the surface, acoustic emission also provides information on damage development before the cracks were visible. Cracking occurred in a less stable fashion in slabs with a larger unbonded region. The larger unbonded length in a slab caused wider cracks to appear at an earlier age than in a slab with a smaller unbonded region.

Quantifying Damage Due to Aggregate Expansion in Cement Matrix

Synopsis: Concrete is a composite of aggregates in a cement paste matrix. Dissimilar volume changes in these constituent materials may result in localized stress development. This is particularly problematic when the aggregate expands more than the surrounding paste. This expansion results in tensile stress development in the cement paste matrix which can lead to micro-cracking in the cement paste matrix. These micro-cracks can eventually coalesce and localize in visible cracking. Quantifying this type of damage can be difficult. This paper describes a conceptual model and physical simulation of this damage considering the expansion of polymeric inclusions (i.e., aggregates) in cement paste matrix subjected to temperature changes. Thermal loading (i.e., temperature change) was selected since it provides a method to control the expansion. Physical experiments were performed where continuous length change measurement and acoustic emission measurements were carried out. These experimental methods are used to better understand the mechanics of the damage. The experimental results indicate that a deviation from classical composite behavior occurs when damage develops which can be seen in the length change measurements. This deviation can be used to quantify the extent of damage. A numerical model is used to interpret the experimental results. An Eshelby misfit approach was used to determine the pressure created by the expanding aggregate. This enables the stresses that develop in a composite material to be determined. A linear fracture mechanics failure criterion is used to calculate the onset of damage formation. Results are in agreement with length change measurements and acoustic emission measurements. A composite damage model for direct calculation of the extent of damage from length change measurements is proposed.

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.

The role of deicing salts on the non-linear moisture diffusion coefficient of cementitious materials during drying

The drying of cementitious materials is of interest in volume change (i.e., shrinkage) research. However, the movement of water due to drying and wetting also plays a significant role in many durability related problems (e.g., corrosion, alkali silica reactivity, freezing and thawing). Many factors can influence the drying and wetting process in concrete including: pore structure, environmental conditions, and liquid properties. This paper describes the influence of the liquid properties on the drying process. Specifically, this work examines the non-linear moisture diffusion coefficient that is used in a differential equation that describes drying. This paper describes how the non-linear moisture diffusion coefficient is influenced by the presence of deicing salts solutions. The relationship between the equilibrium relative humidity and the solution properties is also discussed in this paper. A higher degree of saturation was observed for the samples containing deicing salt solutions, as compared to the plain samples at any given humidity. The presence of deicing salt causes a shift of the non-linear moisture diffusion coefficient as a function of relative humidity. The non-linear moisture diffusion coefficient curves have near zero rates of drying at low relative humidity with a rapid increase in drying rate as the relative humidity is increased (especially near the equilibrium relative humidity) followed by diffusion coefficient of 0 between RHeq and 100% RH.

Characterizing Lightweight Aggregate Desorption at High Relative Humidities Using a Pressure Plate Apparatus

AbstractThis paper describes the results of an experimental study that was performed to obtain desorption isotherms for a wide range of fine lightweight aggregates that are used commercially in North America. The desorption isotherms were determined for the entire gradation of the fine lightweight aggregates (as received). To obtain the desorption isotherms a pressure plate apparatus (porous plate) was used. The pressure plate enables the desorption isotherm to be measured at high relative humidities (beginning at 100%). In addition to providing experimental results obtained with the pressure plate method, desorption results obtained by gravimetric desorption and dynamic vapor desorption methods are also provided. The gravimetric desorption and dynamic vapor desorption methods are generally used at lower relative humidities (98% and 0% relative humidity). The results indicate that water leaves the fine lightweight aggregates at relative humidities as high as 99.9%. This suggests that internal curing water...

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.