Energy based three-dimensional damage index for monitoring and damage detection of concrete structures

Abstract

A novel approach to active structural health monitoring and damage detection of massive reinforced concrete structures using piezoelectric smart aggregates is presented in this paper. An innovative three-dimensional damage index, based on wavelet signal decomposition and energy of wave propagation, is derived in matrix form. Although the proposed three-dimensional damage index can be used for all types of reinforced concrete structures, it is primarily recommended for massive infrastructure buildings. The approach proposed in this paper is theoretically considered for an arbitrary shape of a reinforced concrete element, and it is numerically verified for various scenarios by varying the geometry of reinforced concrete elements, as well as the position, size and quantity of damage. Quasi-static analysis of piezoelectric smart aggregates is modelled using a standard finite element method, and the explicit finite element method is successfully applied in this research for modelling propagation of ultrasonic waves. The results based on numerically generated simulations indicate that the new approach to non-destructive damage detection using three-dimensional damage indexes is quite promising. However, an experimental verification of the proposed damage index will certainly be required in future research.