| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/I005846/1 |
| Title: |
AN INTELLIGENT SYSTEM FOR PERFORMANCE MONITORING OF COVER-ZONE CONCRETE |
| Principal Investigator: |
McCarter, Professor WJ |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Sch of the Built Environment |
| Organisation: |
Heriot-Watt University |
| Scheme: |
Follow on Fund |
| Starts: |
04 October 2010 |
Ends: |
03 October 2011 |
Value (£): |
99,388
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Civil Engineering Materials |
Materials Characterisation |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
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| Related Grants: |
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| Panel History: |
| Panel Date | Panel Name | Outcome |
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29 Apr 2010
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Follow On Fund 8
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Announced
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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The premature deterioration of concrete structures is a world-wide problem. In most developed countries, including the UK, around 50% of the construction budget is devoted to repair and maintenance of structures with over 30% of this expenditure on concrete structures. In addition, our infrastructure has now reached an age where capital costs have decreased, but inspection and maintenance costs have grown, constituting a major part of the recurrent costs of the infrastructure. Traffic delay costs due to inspection and maintenance programmes are already estimated to be between 15%-40% of the construction costs . Demands for enhanced performance create a pressing need to be able to determine, with an acceptable degree of confidence, the anticipated service life of concrete structures. Monitoring deterioration would provide an early warning of incipient problems enabling the planning and scheduling of maintenance programmes, hence minimising traffic delays resulting from road/lane closures. The development of integrated monitoring systems for new reinforced concrete structures could also reduce costs by allowing a more rational approach to the assessment of repair options; and, co-ordination and scheduling of inspection and maintenance programmes. It is now recognised that integrated monitoring systems and procedures have an important role to play.in the total management of structures, which involves both whole-life economics and life-cycle calculations, When data from monitoring systems are used with improved service-life prediction models additional savings in life cycle costs could result. Recent reports from both CIRIA (2008) and EPSRC (2009) highlight the need for the development of sensor technology for 'intelligent' montoring of structural health.Since it is the concrete cover-zone (covercrete) which protects the steel from the external environment, the ability to continuously monitor the covercrete would allow a more informed assessment of the current and future performance of reinforced concrete structures. In-situ monitoring of cover-zone concrete - in real time - could thus assist in making realistic predictions as to the in-service performance of the structure; likely deterioration rates for a particular exposure condition, compliance with the specified design life and as an early warning indicator of incipient problems. Set against this background, this proposal exploits previously funded studies to deliver an intelligent, durability monitoring system thereby addressing a pressing need in the total management of concrete structures. The development of sensors and associated monitoring systems to assess covercrete performance would thus form an important component in the inspection, assessment, maintenance and management of structures.This follow on funding proposal addresses this subject. A patent application has recently been filed detailing a multi-electrode electrical conductivity and temperature array and rebar attachment facility (Patent No. 0918449.0). The array gives a detailed picture of the spatial distribution cover-zone properties and their variation with time i.e. it allows an integrated assessment of the cover-zone response to the external environment. The thrust of the proposal will be further technical development of the testing methodology and monitoring technology so as to provide a 'market-ready' product for intelligent monitoring of concrete structures.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.hw.ac.uk |