Piezoelectric Active Sensing System for Crack Detection in Concrete Structures

This paper presents an active sensing system for concrete crack detection that is based on the energy diffusivity method. In this approach, the energy diffusivity from the piezoelectric actuator to the sensor is analyzed and used to characterize the structural integrity of the pavement. Experiments are carried out to evaluate the effect of this approach in crack detection. In addition, detectable range of this system is studied by testing the energy diffusivity with cuttings at different angles and different distances. By observing and analyzing the energy diffusivity change of the sensor responses, cracks in the concrete specimen can be detected. The detectable range of this system is also discussed in detail. This crack detection system can be used in highway and airport pavement slabs for pavement health monitoring applications.