Investigating the Performance of Self Compacting Concrete Concrete Utilizing Micro Carbon Fibers as Sensing Agents

Abstract

While several structural health monitoring techniques exist, the use of smart concrete for this purpose is a relatively recent innovation. In this method, regular cement mortar or concrete is transformed into a self-sensing material by incorporating carbon fibers, enabling it to detect strains, stresses, and loads. To delve into this technique, the current research involves casting concrete cubes using self-compacting concrete measuring 15 cm, reinforced with varying dosages of carbon fibers. Numerous tests were conducted on an adequate number of specimens, encompassing stress and strain sensing detection. The results revealed a significant correlation between the properties of the concrete cubes and the change in fractional resistance (FCR). These findings indicated that a 1.5% dosage of carbon fibers in the specimen yields the strongest correlation between FCR and concrete cube properties. Additionally, this dosage was found to be optimal for stress sensing and crack/damage detection.