Distributed Embedded System for Multiparametric Assessment of Infrastructure Durability Using Electrochemical Techniques

We present an autonomous system that remotely monitors the state of reinforced concrete structures. This system performs real-time follow-up of the corrosion rate of rebars (i_CORR), along with other relevant parameters such as temperature, corrosion potential (E_CORR), and electrical resistance of concrete (R_E), at many of a structure's control points by using embedded sensors. i_CORR is obtained by applying a novel low-stress electrochemical polarization technique to corrosion sensors. The custom electronic system manages the sensor network, consisting of a measurement board per control point connected to a central single-board computer in charge of processing measurement data and uploading results to a server via 4G connection. In this work, we report the results obtained after implementing the sensor system into a reinforced concrete wall, where two well-differentiated representative areas were monitored. The obtained corrosion parameters showed consistent values. Similar conclusions are obtained with E_CORR recorded in rebars. With the i_CORR follow-up, the corrosion penetration damage diagram is built. This diagram is particularly useful for identifying critical events during the corrosion propagation period and to be able to estimate structures' service life. Hence, the system is presented as a useful tool for the structural maintenance and service life predictions of new structures.