Multi-Sensing Strategy for SHM in Civil Engineering: Case Study of a Structural Element with Carbon Fiber Reinforcement

Abstract

Working on a concrete beam with a carbon fiber reinforcement, we created an experimental bench that allows us to observe both static deformations and vibrations of the concrete beam under test. Using three sensors types : an accelerometer, a piezoelectric wafer and a strain gage, we are able to observe vibrations up to 20kHz. The sensors complement each other in terms of bandwidth. Using stimuli following different axis, we were able to dissociate the different frequencies present in the oscillations and correlate them to different bending moments. Furthermore, we were able to observe the propagation of the signals across the beam and determine the propagation speed of the signal.