The information gathered and the understanding gained from the 2 ½ year investigation by a partnership between CIRIA and Imperial College to investigate the existing technology for automated monitoring of the deterioration of concrete structures, is considerable. Key information gained from the study includes -
Monitoring structures enables comparison of the actual behaviour with that anticipated during design, to determine the rate of deterioration, to optimise the timing of maintenance and to warn of an impending
failure;
Automated monitoring offers potential benefits in relation to on-site testing, including reducing the need for access, identifying problems earlier and isolating climatic effects;
Sensors and monitoring equipment are available to allow many important aspects of the behaviour of concrete structures to be automatically monitored including aspects of structural change, reinforcement corrosion, concrete temperature and moisture content;
With developments in wireless communications and sensor technologies and a better understanding by industry of what can be done, there is no doubt that future management of our built environment will increasingly benefit from the use of intelligent monitoring.
For more information, please contact Matthew Parker (Matthew.parker@ice.org.uk)
Visit
Intelligent Monitoring of Concrete Structures
Visit link
Get Acrobat Reader