Attenuation characteristics of concrete using smart aggregate transducers: Experiments and numerical simulations of P-wave propagation

Concrete is a highly heterogeneous construction material. Waves that propagate through concrete face significant reflection, scattering, and attenuation issues. Understanding the behavior of waves as they propagate through concrete and arrive at a sensor has generated much attention, especially for developing real-world field applications. In this study, a predictive model of attenuated P-wave propagation using Rayleigh damping is presented. The method used frequency excitations ranging from 20 to 200 kHz and smart aggregates (SAs) were embedded in a concrete specimen to excite and receive P-waves. Moreover, 10 distances were marked opposite the exciter at two propagation paths. In the simulations and experiments, signal processing methods were utilized to extract the first arrival packet for calculating amplitude attenuation. The P-wave damping coefficient was modeled using the multi-physical finite element method, and the results of the predictive model were compared with the experimental results. A discussion on the utilization of frequency-dependent attenuation coefficients was conducted to explore potential P-wave attenuation factors and their respective contributions to the overall attenuation. Numerical studies have demonstrated a strong correlation with the experiments when an appropriate level of material damping coefficient was considered. By enhancing the overall comprehension of the P-wave damping coefficient and attenuation characteristics within concrete, damage detection techniques based on P-waves can be improved.