Detection of Damage in Fiber Reinforced Concrete using Piezoceramic Transducers and Electromechanical Impedance (EMI) Method

The Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of concrete structures, including fiber concrete structures, receives increasing attention, and the Electromechanical Impedance (EMI)-based method is commonly used. The aim of using fiber reinforced concrete is to maintain the distress in small cracks regarding their width and range. The feasibility of the methodology was analyzed using EMI and a Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) patch on a fiber concrete cube to investigate the forthcoming damage. During tests, a repetitive compressive loading procedure was applied on a Fiber Reinforced Concrete Cube (FRCC), and the EMI values were measured. A well-known damage index was employed to analyze the signal values and evaluate test results. The results show that the index increases with the increase of the damage even though in very early damage states.