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Smart Structures and Systems
  Volume 20, Number 2, August 2017 , pages 175-180
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12989/sss.2017.20.2.175
 


Grouting compactness monitoring of concrete-filled steel tube arch bridge model using piezoceramic-based transducers
Qian Feng, Qingzhao Kong, Jie Tan and Gangbing Song

 
Abstract
    The load-carrying capacity and structural behavior of concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) structures is highly influenced by the grouting compactness in the steel tube. Due to the invisibility of the grout in the steel tube, monitoring of the grouting progress in such a structure is still a challenge. This paper develops an active sensing approach with combined piezoceramic-based smart aggregates (SA) and piezoceramic patches to monitor the grouting compactness of CFST bridge structure. A small-scale steel specimen was designed and fabricated to simulate CFST bridge structure in this research. Before casting, four SAs and two piezoceramic patches were installed in the pre-determined locations of the specimen. In the active sensing approach, selected SAs were utilized as actuators to generate designed stress waves, which were detected by other SAs or piezoceramic patch sensors. Since concrete functions as a wave conduit, the stress wave response can be only detected when the wave path between the actuator and the sensor is filled with concrete. For the sake of monitoring the grouting progress, the steel tube specimen was grouted in four stages, and each stage held three days for cement drying. Experimental results show that the received sensor signals in time domain clearly indicate the change of the signal amplitude before and after the wave path is filled with concrete. Further, a wavelet packet-based energy index matrix (WPEIM) was developed to compute signal energy of the received signals. The computed signal energies of the sensors shown in the WPEIM demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method in the monitoring of the grouting progress.
 
Key Words
    grouting compactness monitoring; concrete-filled steel tube arch bridge; piezoceramic-based transducers; smart aggregates; active sensing approach
 
Address
Qian Feng and Jie Tan: Key Laboratory of Earthquake Geodesy, Institute of Seismology, China Earthquake Administration, Wuhan, 430071, China;
Wuhan Institute of Earthquake Engineering, Wuhan, 430071, China
Qingzhao Kong: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun, Houston, 77204, USA
Gangbing Song: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun, Houston, 77204, USA;
School of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China


 

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