Prevention of concrete structures from collapsing

¹ Research Institute for Building Materials, Department of Applied Research and Development, Brno, Czech Republic
² Brno University of Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication, Brno, Czech Republic

Abstract

At the end of the 20^th century requirements on using electrical properties of building materials emerged for application in heating of trafficable surfaces, grounding of electrostatic charges in floors, shielding of electro-magnetic fields and diagnosis of concrete structure state in the course of time. For this reason, it was necessary to design special fibre-cement elements able to transfer any mechanical impulse to an electricallymeasured signal detected as a change in electrical resistance with computer outputs. Regarding previous research studies, it was concluded that special fibre-cement composites are able to conduct electric current under specific conditions. This property is ensured by using of various kinds of carbon materials. Though carbon fibres are less conductive than metal fibres, composites with carbon fibres were evaluated as better current conductors than the composites with metal fibres. By means of various kinds of carbon particles and fibres it is possible to design cement composites with an ability to monitor changes in electrical conductivity of concretes. The designed composites are assembled with conductive wires and connected with a special electronic equipment for monitoring of changes in alternate voltage passing through the tensometer within mechanical loading of a concrete element in which the composite is integrated. The tensometers are placed preferably into parts of the concrete elements subjected to compression, such as simple reinforced columns or upper parts of longitudinal beams. Several tests of repeated loading and simultaneous monitoring of vertical as well as horizontal prefabricated concrete elements were carried out and evaluated.