An interdisciplinary effort to develop a wireless embedded sensor system to monitor and assess corrosion in the tendons of prestressed concrete girders

Abstract

The nation's civil transportation infrastructure of structural concrete bridges is aging and deteriorating - principally as a result of the corrosion of the steel reinforcement that gives these structures their tensile strength. The primary objective of our research is to develop a cost-effective wireless embedded sensor system that detects the onset of corrosion and directly relates the sensor data to the deterioration of the girder's structural performance characteristics. Reaching this objective requires our multidisciplinary team to integrate the following three research thrusts: (1) non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of reinforcing tendons; (2) embedded wireless sensors; (3) diagnostic tool development that relates sensor data to changes in structural performance characteristics. In cooperation with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the research project will culminate with a field demonstration of the embedded sensor system installed in a prestressed girder.