Research on the Development of an Intelligent Support System that detects Load Changes in Real Time during Concrete Curing

On construction sites, to build concrete structures such as slabs, beams, and concrete form are installed, and formwork supports are placed underneath to support the cast concrete. These supports hold the concrete during its curing period and are typically removed once the concrete reaches its design strength. However, due to the variability in concrete properties influenced by external factors such as temperature, humidity, and determining the exact timing for dismantling the supports can be challenging. Premature removal of the supports in an attempt to shorten the construction period may risk concrete collapse, while leaving them in place too long after sufficient strength is achieved can delay subsequent processes. The purpose of this study is to develop and test an intelligent support system that detects concrete load changes in real-time to accurately determine the appropriate time for dismantling the supports. The intelligent system monitors the retention period in real-time by tracking the load changes from the concrete and checks whether responsibility for non-agreed dismantling exists. Components of the intelligent support system include sensors for measuring load changes, sensor nodes for collecting and transmitting data to servers, gateways for data transmission, receivers, servers for data collection, and state analysis programs. Through development and testing, it was confirmed that the interface between the sensors and the monitoring system worked successfully, and the program operated correctly. Once commercialized, this system can prevent concrete collapse accidents by detecting load changes in real-time. Furthermore, if potential hazards are predicted, additional support can be installed, or the position of existing supports can be adjusted preemptively to prevent major accidents. In the future, with detailed studies comparing concrete compressive strength measurements in the field and the load and temperature data from this system, it is expected that the construction period can be shortened by identifying the optimal time for dismantling scaffolding earlier.