Carbon Yarns for Strain Sensing of FRC Elements under Cyclic Loading in the Uncracked Regime

The goal of this study is to explore the use of carbon-based textiles to sense strain in fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) elements. To answer this goal, the study investigates a new electrical configuration in which the carbon yarns function as internal devices within the FRC body. An impedance spectrum analysis is used to monitor changes in both electrical resistance and capacitance, focusing on tensile stresses in the healthy state of the element. The results show that the electrical responses consistently follow the mechanical loading and can be correlated to them for the purpose of strain sensing.