RFID sensor development for corrosion monitoring in bridges cables

This article investigates the RFID technology for corrosion monitoring of prestressed concrete structures. Common corrosion detection methods are time-consuming and expensive, leading to challenges in early detection, especially in inaccessible areas. RFID technology offers advantages such as wireless operation, small size, and easy integration. The present paper aims at applying RFID corrosion sensors to the monitoring of steel strands used in prestressed bridges. As it will be shown, corrosion of both steel strands and sensitive parts of sensors is governed by localized corrosion. When the depth of pits become higher than 150 m on the steel strands, an alert is triggered by sensors. With this alert, maintenance actions can be planned. The paper also validates the radio-frequency communication with sensors embedded within a High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) sheath through in-situ testing. It is proved that embedded sensors in HDPE sheath can be manually interrogated by operators during inspections with a reading distance of 25 cm or more, depending on the location of the sensors with respect to strands. These findings highlight the interest of the method and contributes to the advancement of corrosion monitoring strategies for prestressed bridges, enabling improved maintenance practices and extended durability.