Concrete strength monitoring and damage detection using piezoelectric-based wireless sensor

Concrete stands as the predominant and extensively employed structural material in civil engineering. Timely evaluation of concrete strength is essential for maintaining structural safety and minimizing construction delays, thereby avoiding possible structural failures. This early check also ensures that concrete structures can bear loads during construction and throughout their service life. A significant challenge in the construction industry is accurately determining the strength of early-age concrete and identifying potential damage without destructive testing. Conventional techniques often require time-consuming procedures and can be impractical for real-time monitoring. To overcome this issue, IoT-based monitoring systems with piezoelectric sensors provide a practical approach for continuous strength monitoring and damage identification in concrete structures. This study utilized a piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) sensor, employing a surface-bonding technique to attach the sensor to the cube specimens. The experimental phase spanned four weeks, including intervals of 7th, 14th, and 28th days by standard construction codes to assess necessary strength levels and identify any damage within the structure. This study verified the results obtained by the piezoelectric-based wireless sensor network are practical and reliable. Correlation coefficient values are analyzed to validate the relationship between data from IoT-based testing and compressive strength. All the results are presented in graphical format, confirming that this non-destructive approach can accurately predict concrete strength and identify structural damage. This study uniquely contributed by validating the use of piezoelectric sensors for continuous, in-situ monitoring of concrete, providing a novel approach to early damage detection and evaluating the structural health of the structure.