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Structural Monitoring and Maintenance Volume 10, Number 2, June 2023 , pages 133-154 DOI: https://doi.org/10.12989/smm.2023.10.2.133 |
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A practical modification to coaxial cables as damage sensor with TDR in obscured structural members and RC piles |
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Mehmet Ozgur and Sami Arsoy
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| Abstract | ||
| Obscured structural members are mostly under-evaluated during condition assessment due to lack of visual inspection capability. Insufficient information about the integrity of these structural members poses a significant risk for public safety. Time domain reflectometry (TDR) is a novel approach in structural health monitoring (SHM). Ordinary coaxial cables "as is" without a major modification are not suitable for SHM with TDR. The objective of this study is to propose a practical and cost-effective modification approach to commercially available coaxial cables in order to use them as a "cable sensor" for damage detection with the TDR equipment for obscured structural members. The experimental validation and assessment of the proposed modification approach was achieved by conducting 3-point bending tests of the model piles as a representative obscured structural member. It can be noted that the RG59/U-6 and RG6/U-4 cable sensors expose higher strain sensitivity in comparison with non-modified "as is" versions of the cables used. As a result, the cable sensors have the capability of sensing both the presence and the location of a structural damage with a maximum aberration of 3 cm. Furthermore, the crack development can be monitored by the RG59/U-6 cable sensor with a simple calibration. | ||
| Key Words | ||
| cable sensor; coaxial cable; obscured structural members; RC pile; TDR | ||
| Address | ||
| Mehmet Ozgur: Deparment of Civil Engineering, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Terzioglu Campus, Canakkale, Türkiye Sami Arsoy: Department of Civil Engineering, Kocaeli University, Umuttepe Campus, Kocaeli, Türkiye | ||
