SMART STRUCTURES: EMBEDDABLE SENSORS FOR USE IN THE INTEGRATED MONITORING SYSTEMS OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES

The major part of the infrastructure has reached an age where capital costs have decreased, but where the inspection and maintenance costs rapidly increases and constitute the major part of the costs. The BRITE/EuRaM project, "SMART STRUCTURES" with eight European partners should develop an integrated monitoring system aiming the reduction of the inspection and maintenance costs as well as the traffic regulation costs and delays. The important part of this project was concerned with development of different sensors to be embedded in concrete structures as a part of the monitoring system. These sensors should register time to corrosion initiation, chloride content and humidity. Laboratory tests have been performed with the new developed sensors measuring the above mentioned parameters. Based on the laboratory tests calibration curves for translation of monitored data on-site tests have been established. The on-site test is being conducted on the highway bridge near Copenhagen with sensors installed during 2000 and 2001 in approx. 200 positions. The monitoring on-site will continue for the next five years and it should contribute to the further improvement of the sensors.