In situstress monitoring of the concrete beam under static loading with cement-based piezoelectric sensors

In this paper, the application of a novel cement-based piezoelectric ceramic sensor is stated for the in situ stress monitoring of the reinforced concrete beam under static loading. Smart beam composite structures were designed and characterised by a range of experimental methods. Finite element analysis is used to analyse the mechanical response of the concrete beam under static loading. The results show that the mechanical–electrical response of sensors embedded in reinforced concrete beams follows a linear relationship under various loading conditions. The sensors are able to record the stress history of the beam under static loads. Moreover, the measured stress data agree well with the simulated results and the smart structures are found to be capable of reliably monitoring the response of a beam during stress testing for static loading modes to real concrete structures. The study indicates that such cement-based piezoelectric composites have a high feasibility and applicability to the in situ stress monitoring of reinforced concrete structures.