Masters Theses
Abstract
"A new concept for the design of coaxial cables was previously proposed and developed at the University of Missouri--Rolla (UMR). These sensors were designed based on the change in topology of the cable structure when the cable is subjected to strain effects. They were shown 10~50 times more sensitive than commercially available technology with communication cables. This study focuses on the implementation issues of coaxial cable crack sensors, including manufacturability, predictability, and environmental effects. These issues are discussed to further advance the emerging technology towards its commercialization and implementation for crack monitoring and detection in reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Topics discussed in this thesis include a plasma sprayed coating of a coaxial cable sensor, correlation between the reflection coefficient and the crack width, temperature and moisture effects, and interference of steel reinforcing bars with the electromagnetic field used for time-domain reflectometry measurements. Test results have shown that the sprayed coating can significantly enhance the uniformity of coaxial cable sensors and thus the quality of measured data. With controlled crack tests, the peak reflection coefficient was found to have linear regions after the initial cracking of the beam, related to the width of a crack in the test range. This study will also address the ability of these sensors to perform under field conditions. Furthermore, the interference by the adjacent steel bars is negligible even when a coaxial sensor is nearly in contact with a reinforcing bar"--Abstract, page iii.
Advisor(s)
Chen, Genda
Committee Member(s)
Myers, John J.
Pommerenke, David
Department(s)
Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Degree Name
M.S. in Civil Engineering
Sponsor(s)
National Science Foundation (U.S.)
Publisher
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Publication Date
Summer 2008
Pagination
x, 57 pages
Note about bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (page 39).
Rights
© 2008 Michael Allen Brower, All rights reserved.
Document Type
Thesis - Restricted Access
File Type
text
Language
English
Subject Headings
Coaxial cables
Reinforced concrete construction -- Earthquake effects -- Testing
Smart materials -- Testing
Thesis Number
T 9399
Print OCLC #
277245750
Link to Catalog Record
Electronic access to the full-text of this document is restricted to Missouri S&T users. Otherwise, request this publication directly from Missouri S&T Library or contact your local library.
http://merlin.lib.umsystem.edu/record=b6563453~S5Recommended Citation
Brower, Michael A., "Implementation issues of distributed coaxial cable crack sensors embedded in reinforced concrete members" (2008). Masters Theses. 57.
https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/masters_theses/57
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Comments
Financial support to complete this study was provided in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under award No. CMS0409420 and industrial support through the NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center on Repair of Buildings & Bridges with Composites (RB2C) at UMR.