Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2018-07-27T14:09:42Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Michael dos Santos Durval - 2018.pdf: 12689287 bytes, checksum: a4aa8729f88220ca5e557b61addf7b0a (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2018-07-27T14:35:49Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Michael dos Santos Durval - 2018.pdf: 12689287 bytes, checksum: a4aa8729f88220ca5e557b61addf7b0a (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-27T14:35:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Michael dos Santos Durval - 2018.pdf: 12689287 bytes, checksum: a4aa8729f88220ca5e557b61addf7b0a (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-07-04 / Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is a very cost-effective technique to reduce costs, increase life-cycle, and improve the performance of engineering structures. The impedancebased methodology uses the electromechanical behavior of piezoelectric materials (PZTs) to detect structural anomalies and damages. This technique uses high frequencies and excites the local modes, thus providing the monitoring of any change of the structural mechanical impedance in the region of influence of PZT. From the variation of the impedance signals, it can be concluded whether or not there is a damage. Artificial neural networks (RNA) are part of a broad concept called artificial systems. The foundation of neural networks is associated with the functioning of the human brain, which after training has the ability to perform associations. This science has great applicability in the solution of artificial intelligence problems, through the modeling of systems that use connections that make it possible to simulate the human nervous system. This work uses Kohonen’s self-organizing maps (SOM) associated to SHM based on electromechanical impedance for the detection and classification of damages in an aluminum beam. Based on the system under analysis, the network was trained to five different failure and severity positions. Through the neural network model of self-organizing maps, the network provided 30 maps as answers to the training and learning process. With this, it was realized qualitatively based on the concentration of energy of the maps that the grouping and classification of the different conditions of damages in which the engineering structure was submitted, happened with success. In order to establish a quantitative analysis proving the potential of the SOM network, the Hamming distance formula was applied, in which the results confirmed its accuracy. / O Monitoramento de Integridade Estrutural (SHM – Structural Health Monitoring) é uma técnica bem viável para se reduzir custos, aumentar a vida útil e melhorar o desempenho de estruturas de engenharia. A metodologia baseada em impedância usa o comportamento eletromecânico de materiais piezelétricos (PZT) para detectar anomalias e danos estruturais. Esta técnica utiliza altas frequências para excitar os modos locais, proporcionando, assim, o monitoramento de qualquer mudança da impedância mecânica estrutural na região de influência do PZT. A partir da variação dos sinais de impedância pode-se concluir pela existência ou não de um dano. Redes neurais artificiais (RNA) fazem parte de um amplo conceito chamado sistemas artificiais. O fundamento de redes neurais está associado ao funcionamento do cérebro humano, que após treinamento detém a capacidade de realizar associações. Esta ciência tem grande aplicabilidade na solução de problemas de inteligência artificial, através da modelagem de sistemas que usam conexões que possibilitam simular o sistema nervoso humano. Este trabalho utilizou a técnica dos mapas auto-organizáveis (SOMs – Self-Organizing Maps) de Kohonen associado ao SHM baseado na impedância eletromecânica para a detecção e a classificação de danos em uma viga de alumínio. Com base no sistema em análise, treinou-se a rede para cinco posições de falhas e severidades distintas. Por meio do modelo de rede neural dos mapas auto-organizáveis, a rede forneceu 30 mapas como respostas ao processo de treinamento e aprendizagem. Com isto, percebeu-se qualitativamente com base na concentração de energia dos mapas que o agrupamento e classificação das diferentes condições de danos em que a estrutura de engenharia foi submetida, ocorreu com sucesso. Para se estabelecer uma análise quantitativa que comprovasse o potencial da rede SOM, aplicou-se a fórmula da distância de Hamming, nos quais os resultados confirmaram sua precisão.

This thesis presents a study of wireless sensor networks applied in monitoring the curing process of concrete building structure. To replace the massive user intervention of the traditional monitoring methods with automated data acquisition, various types of sensors are developed for different concrete tests, including compressive strength measurement, maturity test, and relative humidity test. The main purpose of the thesis is to provide an analysis of existing commercial sensors as well as research prototypes, comparing different test methods and communication models. Distribution of sensors, future potential in millimeter-wave, and simulation environments are also discussed.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-01-08Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:40:52Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 baptista_fg_dr_ilha.pdf: 1105245 bytes, checksum: d9df8c940603a26591e01168eaac4aaa (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / A técnica da impedância eletromecânica (E/M) tem sido amplamente pesquisada para o desenvolvimento de sistemas de SHM (Structural Health Monitoring – monitoramento de integridade estrutural) em diversas aplicações. Embora existam muitos trabalhos que indiquem a eficiência e a viabilidade dessa técnica, alguns problemas práticos em aplicações reais ainda precisam ser investigados. A medição da impedância elétrica, etapa básica da técnica, geralmente é realizada por instrumentos comerciais volumosos, pesados e de alto custo, características proibitivas para muitas aplicações. A seleção da faixa de frequência em que a impedância deve ser medida para assegurar boa sensibilidade ao dano é feita por métodos de tentativa e erro ou por metodologias que utilizam dados medidos em uma quantidade considerável de testes. Além disso, o dimensionamento dos transdutores é feito sem um embasamento teórico, independentemente das características da estrutura monitorada. Neste trabalho é proposto um sistema de medição de impedância elétrica rápido, versátil e de baixo custo que substitui com eficiência os instrumentos comerciais. A partir de um circuito eletromecânico equivalente, o efeito de carregamento do transdutor devido à estrutura monitorada foi analisado. A análise do efeito de carregamento permite dimensionar corretamente o transdutor de acordo com a estrutura monitorada e assegurar um bom desempenho do sistema. O circuito eletromecânico também foi utilizado para determinar, teoricamente, as faixas de frequência em que o transdutor tem boa sensibilidade e auxiliar na seleção da faixa de frequência adequada para a detecção de danos estruturais. Todas as metodologias propostas foram verificadas através de experimentos em estruturas de alumínio e houve uma boa concordância entre os resultados teóricos e experimentais / The electromechanical (E/M) impedance technique has been widely studied for the development of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems in various applications. Although there are many studies indicating the effectiveness and feasibility of this technique, some practical issues in real applications yet should be investigated. The electrical impedance measurement, basic stage of the technique, is usually performed by bulky, heavy and expensive instruments; these features are prohibitive for many applications. The selection of the frequency range in which the electrical impedance must be measured to ensure good sensitivity for damage detection is performed by trial and error methods or by methodologies that use measured data in a considerable amount of tests. Furthermore, the design of the transducer is done without theoretical basis, regardless the characteristics of the host structure. In this work, a fast, versatile and low-cost electrical impedance measurement system was developed; the proposed system successfully replaces the conventional instruments. From an equivalent electromechanical circuit, the transducer loading effect due to the host structure was analyzed. The analysis of the loading effect allows the correct design of the transducer according to the host structure for ensure a good performance of the system. The electromechanical circuit was also used to theoretically determine the frequency ranges in which the transducer has good sensitivity and assist in the selection of the suitable frequency range for structural damage detection. All proposed methodologies were validated by experimental tests on aluminum structures and there was a good match between the theoretical and practical results

Submitted by Sanderson Manoel Da Conceição (enders83@yahoo.com.br) on 2018-08-24T00:09:53Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseDR_Sanderson.pdf: 5806318 bytes, checksum: 51410134afd7ae86d0783074d6012e88 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Cristina Alexandra de Godoy null (cristina@adm.feis.unesp.br) on 2018-08-24T17:09:49Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 conceicao_sm_dr_ilha.pdf: 5957405 bytes, checksum: 16cab2d9c84f81cd3cd4ff0b9fa36219 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-24T17:09:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 conceicao_sm_dr_ilha.pdf: 5957405 bytes, checksum: 16cab2d9c84f81cd3cd4ff0b9fa36219 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-12-20 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A ideia central deste trabalho é utilizar o método dos Elementos Espectrais (SEM, do inglês Spectral Element Method) para aplicações de controle ativo de vibrações e monitoramento da integridade estrutural (SHM, do inglês Structural Health Monitoring). Diversos trabalhos têm abordado estes tópicos de forma independente. No entanto, para aplicações reais de engenharia, utilizar os mesmos atuadores, sensores e sistemas de aquisição de dados para controle e monitoramento pode reduzir investimentos e simplificar processos. Por esta motivação, este trabalho apresenta um estudo de modelos espectrais para estruturas do tipo viga considerando aplicações de controle de vibrações e monitoramento da integridade estrutural. Na modelagem são considerados os modelos de vigas de Euler-Bernoulli e Timoshenko, além de transdutores piezelétricos acoplados. A técnica de controle clássico PID (Proporcional, Integral, Derivativo) é explorada e uma nova modelagem é proposta para se considerar técnicas modernas de controle por realimentação de estados na formulação espectral. Em particular, discute-se o controlador LQR (do inglês, Linear Quadratic Regulator), no entanto, a metodologia permite se considerar outras técnicas de controle por realimentação baseada na representação no espaço de estados. Também, especificamente para monitoramento estrutural, no presente trabalho de tese apresenta-se uma discussão sobre índices de detecção de danos. Índices de detecção calculados a partir de sinais experimentais têm sido amplamente utilizados em trabalhos da literatura de SHM. No entanto, pouco tem sido esclarecido sobre seus comportamentos em função das características estruturais e dos danos. Neste sentido, o presente trabalho apresenta uma discussão do comportamento de índices baseados na norma H2, norma H∞ e no CCDM (Correlation coefficient deviation metric), para duas faixas de frequência, em função da severidade do dano e quantidade de amortecimento no sistema. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a formulação por Elementos Espectrais é adequada para viabilizar os projetos simultâneos de um controlador de vibrações e um sistema de monitoramento estrutural utilizando os mesmos equipamentos e simplificando análises ao se utilizar um único modelo dinâmico do sistema. / The main idea of this thesis is to use the Spectral Element Method (SEM), in applications of Active Vibration Control (AVC) and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). These two topics have been approached in several works, but in an independent way. However, for real engineering applications, to use the same actuators, sensors and data acquisition systems to active control and structural monitoring can reduce the costs and simplify processes. For this reason, this thesis presents a study of spectral models for beam-like structures considering applications of vibration control and structural health monitoring. The Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam theories are used in the spectral modelling and the piezelectric transducers bonded in the structures are also considered. A classical control technique, PID (Proportional, Integral, Derivative) is explored and a new modelling approach to consider modern control methods of state feedback is proposed in spectral formulation. In particular, the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) is discussed, however, this methodology allows for any other state feedback control techniques based in state space representation. Also, specifically for structural monitoring, is presented a discussion about damage detection indices. Detection indices computed from experimental data have been widely used in SHM studies. However, little has been clarified about their behaviours due to structural characteristics and damages. In this context, this work presents a discussion of the behaviour of indices based in the H2 norm, H∞ norm and CCDM (Correlation coefficient deviation metric), for two frequency ranges, depending on the severity of damage and amount of damping in the system. The obtained results indicate that the spectral element formulation is suited to enable the simultaneous design of a vibration controller and a structural monitoring system using the same data acquisition systems and simplifying analysis when using just one dynamic model of the system.

Orientador: Vicente Lopes Junior / Resumo: A ideia central deste trabalho é utilizar o método dos Elementos Espectrais (SEM, do inglês Spectral Element Method) para aplicações de controle ativo de vibrações e monitoramento da integridade estrutural (SHM, do inglês Structural Health Monitoring). Diversos trabalhos têm abordado estes tópicos de forma independente. No entanto, para aplicações reais de engenharia, utilizar os mesmos atuadores, sensores e sistemas de aquisição de dados para controle e monitoramento pode reduzir investimentos e simplificar processos. Por esta motivação, este trabalho apresenta um estudo de modelos espectrais para estruturas do tipo viga considerando aplicações de controle de vibrações e monitoramento da integridade estrutural. Na modelagem são considerados os modelos de vigas de Euler-Bernoulli e Timoshenko, além de transdutores piezelétricos acoplados. A técnica de controle clássico PID (Proporcional, Integral, Derivativo) é explorada e uma nova modelagem é proposta para se considerar técnicas modernas de controle por realimentação de estados na formulação espectral. Em particular, discute-se o controlador LQR (do inglês, Linear Quadratic Regulator), no entanto, a metodologia permite se considerar outras técnicas de controle por realimentação baseada na representação no espaço de estados. Também, especificamente para monitoramento estrutural, no presente trabalho de tese apresenta-se uma discussão sobre índices de detecção de danos. Índices de detecção calculados a partir de sinais experimen... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The main idea of this thesis is to use the Spectral Element Method (SEM), in applications of Active Vibration Control (AVC) and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). These two topics have been approached in several works, but in an independent way. However, for real engineering applications, to use the same actuators, sensors and data acquisition systems to active control and structural monitoring can reduce the costs and simplify processes. For this reason, this thesis presents a study of spectral models for beam-like structures considering applications of vibration control and structural health monitoring. The Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam theories are used in the spectral modelling and the piezelectric transducers bonded in the structures are also considered. A classical control technique, PID (Proportional, Integral, Derivative) is explored and a new modelling approach to consider modern control methods of state feedback is proposed in spectral formulation. In particular, the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) is discussed, however, this methodology allows for any other state feedback control techniques based in state space representation. Also, specifically for structural monitoring, is presented a discussion about damage detection indices. Detection indices computed from experimental data have been widely used in SHM studies. However, little has been clarified about their behaviours due to structural characteristics and damages. In this context, this work presents a d... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

L’objectif de cet projet est la conception, réalisation et caractérisation d’un actionneur / capteur piézoélectrique piézorésonant destiné à la mesure du vieillissement de la peau humaine. L’étude présentée est le fruit d’une collaboration entre le groupe de recherche de l'Electrodynamique du INP-ENSEEIHT (Toulouse), LAPLACE Laboratoire de Recherche et l'École Polytechnique de Gdask, Département Génie Electrique et Automatique. Un concept d’actionneur / capteur pour la caractérisation des propriétés mécaniques des tissus mous a été présenté. Un actionneur piézoélectrique résonant, appelé "unimorphe" a été choisi parmi les différentes structures piézoélectriques fondées sur le cahier des charges. L'innovation du projet réside dans l'intégration de la méthode d'indentation dynamique en utilisant un unimorphe comme dispositif d'indentation. Ceci permet l'utilisation d'un certain nombre de propriétés électromécaniques favorables des transducteurs piézo-électriques. Ce mémoire est divisé en 7 chapitres. Le chapitre 1 présente la thèse et ses objectifs. Le chapitre 2 présente le phénomène piézoélectrique et les applications piézoélectriques dans les domaines de la médecine et de la bio ingénierie. Le chapitre 3 décrit le cahier des charges pour le transducteur développé. Le choix du transducteur unimorphe est ainsi justifié. Le chapitre 4 présente une description analytique du transducteur unimorphe, y compris les calculs de déformations statiques, la description du circuit équivalent de Mason, et la description des conditions de contact entre la sonde d'indentation et les matériaux testés. Le chapitre 5 contient l'analyse numérique du transducteur unimorphe en utilisant le modèle virtuel MEF. Les résultats de simulations statiques et modales sont décrits par deux géométries considérées du transducteur. Le chapitre 6 décrit le processus de vérification expérimentale des modèles analytiques et numériques développés pour le transducteur unimorphe. Enfin, le dernier chapitre comprend des conclusions générales concernant les résultats de recherche obtenus, ainsi que les travaux futurs possibles. Afin de vérifier la thèse d'un cycle complet de recherche a été effectuée, qui a couvert: étude analytique, l'analyse numérique (simulations MEF), réalisation de prototype, et la vérification expérimentale des actionneurs / capteurs piézoélectriques considérés. / The main goal of the dissertation was following: preparation of a new concept, implementation and analysis of the piezoelectric resonant sensor/actuator for measuring the aging process of human skin. The research work has been carried out in the framework of cooperation between the INP-ENSEEIHT-LAPLACE, Toulouse, France, and at the Gdansk University of Technology, Faculty of Electrical and Control Engineering, Research Group of Power Electronics and Electrical Machines, Gdask, Poland. A concept of transducer for the characterization of mechanical properties of soft tissues was presented. The piezoelectric resonant, bending transducer, referred to as “unimorph transducer” was chosen from different topologies of piezoelectric benders based on the fulfillment of the stated requirements. The innovation of the project lies in the integration of the dynamic indentation method by using a unimorph as an indentation device. This allows the use of a number of attractive electromechanical properties of piezoelectric transducers. The thesis is divided into seven chapters. Chapter 1 states the thesis and goals of the dissertation. Chapter 2 presents piezoelectric phenomenon and piezoelectric applications in the fields of medicine and bioengineering. Chapter 3 describes the requirements for the developed transducer. The choice of unimorph transducer is justified. Chapter 4 presents an analytical description of the unimorph transducer, including the calculations of static deformations, equivalent circuit description, and description of the contact conditions between the transducer and the tested materials. Chapter 5 contains the numerical analysis of the unimorph transducer using FEM virtual model. Results of static and modal simulations are described for two considered geometries of the transducer. Chapter 6 describes the experimental verification process of analytic and numerical models developed for unimorph transducer. The final chapter includes general conclusions concerning obtained research results and achievements, as well as possible future works. In order to verify the proposition of the thesis a full research cycle was carried out, that covered: analytical study, numerical analysis (FEM simulations), prototype realization, and experimental verification of the considered (developed) piezoelectric sensor/actuator structures.

Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2018-05-14T11:10:23Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - João Paulo Moreira Bento - 2018.pdf: 9014096 bytes, checksum: 4e6dccb0b510fd01eb01da085929864d (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2018-05-14T11:10:47Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - João Paulo Moreira Bento - 2018.pdf: 9014096 bytes, checksum: 4e6dccb0b510fd01eb01da085929864d (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-14T11:10:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - João Paulo Moreira Bento - 2018.pdf: 9014096 bytes, checksum: 4e6dccb0b510fd01eb01da085929864d (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-05-02 / There are several problems that can occur in components exposed to constant use and subjected to wear among the different types of structural components. Thus, in the last years it has been developed techniques able to monitor the health of the structures. In the last decades many non-destructive techniques have started to be used, among them we can mention the method of electromechanical impedance. This work proposes to present in the bibliographic review some basic concepts related to the main topics related to SHM (Structural Health Monitoring), such as smart materials, the different techniques, damage metrics and impedance analyzers. It will also be approached some techniques of classic optimization (random search) and bioinspired (bee colony algorithm and ant colony algorithm) that can be used to perform electromechanical impedance signals between damaged and non-damaged structures. Finally, it is presented the subject of Markov chains, a stochastic process, which a future state depends only on the present state and not on the other past states. The dissertation proposal is a case study (LEGO System) that aims to apply the concepts of electromechanical impedance, optimization and Markov chains for the monitoring of structural health in a defined system, and with this result, be able to provide data for a possible failure prediction. Concluding, it can realize the potentiality of the Markov chains associated to the electromechanical impedance method for monitoring and predicting future states. / Existem inúmeros problemas que podem surgir em componentes que estejam em constante uso e sujeito a desgastes dentre os diversos tipos de componentes estruturais. Para isto, nos últimos anos tem-se desenvolvido técnicas capazes de monitorar a integridade estrutural. Nas últimas décadas inúmeras técnicas não destrutivas começaram a ser utilizadas, dentre elas pode-se citar o método de impedância eletromecânica. Este trabalho propõe apresentar na revisão bibliográfica alguns conceitos básicos relacionados aos principais tópicos ligados a SHM (Structural Health Monitoring - Monitoramento da Integridade Estrutural), como materiais inteligentes, as diversas técnicas, métricas de dano e analisadores de impedância. Será abordado também algumas técnicas de otimização clássica (busca randômica) e bioinspirada (algoritmo de colônia de abelhas e algoritmo de colônia de formigas) que podem ser utilizadas para realizar comparações dos sinais de impedância eletromecânica entre estruturas sem dano e com dano. Por fim, é discutido sobre o tema de cadeias de Markov que é um processo estocástico onde um estado futuro depende apenas do estado presente e não dos demais estados passados. A proposta da dissertação é um estudo de caso em um sistema LEGO que visa aplicar os conceitos de impedância eletromecânica, otimização e cadeias de Markov para o monitoramento da integridade estrutural em um sistema definido e com isto, fornecer dados para uma possível previsão de falhas. Como conclusão, pode-se perceber a potencialidade das cadeias de Markov associado ao método da impedância eletromecânica para monitoramento e previsão de estados futuros.

<p>Developing a reliable in-situ non-destructive testing method to determine the strength of in-place concrete is critical because a fast-paced construction schedule exposes concrete pavement and/or structures undergoing substantial loading conditions, even at their early ages. Conventional destructive testing methods, such as compressive and flexural tests, are very time-consuming, which may cause construction delays or cost overruns. Moreover, the curing conditions of the tested cylindrical samples and the in-place concrete pavement/structures are quite different, which may result in different strength values. An NDT method that could directly correlate the mechanical properties of cementitious materials with the sensing results, regardless of the curing conditions, mix design, and size effect is needed for the in-situ application.</p><p>The piezoelectric sensor-based electromechanical impedance (EMI) technique has shown promise in addressing this challenge as it has been used to both monitor properties and detect damages on the concrete structure. Due to the direct and inverse effects of piezoelectric, this material can act as a sensor, actuator, and transducer. This research serves as a comprehensive study to investigate the feasibility and efficiency of using piezoelectric sensor-based EMI to evaluate the strength of newly poured concrete. To understand the fundamentals of this method and enhance the durability of the sensor for in-situ monitoring, this work started with sensor fabrication. It has studied two types of polymer coating on the effect of the durability of the sensor to make it practical to be used in the field.</p><p>The mortar and concrete samples with various mix designs were prepared to ascertain whether the results of the proposed sensing technique were affected by the different mixtures. The EMI measurement and compressive strength testing methods (ASTM C39, ASTM C109) were conducted in the laboratory. The experimental results of mortar samples with different water-to-cement ratios (W/C) and two types of cement (I and III) showed that the correlation coefficient (R²) is higher than 0.93 for all mixes. In the concrete experiments, the correlation coefficient between the EMI sensing index and compressive strength of all mixes is higher than 0.90. The empirical estimation function was established through a concrete slab experiment. Moreover, several trial implementations on highway construction projects (I-70, I-74, and I-465) were conducted to monitor the real-time strength development of concrete. The data processing method and the reliable index of EMI sensing were developed to establish the regression model to correlate the sensing results with the compressive strength of concrete. It has been found that the EMI sensing method and its related statistical index can effectively reflect the compressive strength gain of in-place concrete at different ages.</p><p>To further investigate the in-situ compressive strength of concrete for large-scale structures, we conducted a series of large concrete slabs with the dimension of 8 feet × 12 feet × 8 inches in depth was conducted at outdoor experiments field to simulate real-world conditions. Different types of compressive strength samples, including cast-in-place (CIP) cylinder (4” × 6”) – (ASTM C873), field molded cylinder (4” × 8”) – (ASTM C39), and core drilled sample (4” × 8”) – (ASTM C42) were prepared to compare the compressive strength of concrete. The environmental conditions, such as ambient temperatures and relative humidity, were also recorded. The in-situ EMI monitoring of concrete strength was also conducted. The testing ages in this study were started from 6 hours after the concrete cast was put in place to investigate the early age results and continued up to 365 days (one year) later for long-term monitoring. The results indicate that the strength of the CIP sample is higher than the 4” x 8” molded cylinder , and that core drilled concrete is weaker than the two aforementioned. The EMI results obtained from the slab are close to those obtained from CIP due to similar curing conditions. The EMI results collected from 4 × 8-inch cylinder samples are lower than slab and CIP, which aligns with the mechanical testing results and indicates that EMI could capture the strength gain of concrete over time.</p><p>The consequent database collected from the large slab tests was used to build a prediction model for concrete strength. The Artificial Neuron Network (ANN) was investigated and experimented with to optimize the prediction of performances. Then, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to discuss and understand the critical parameters to predict the mechanical properties of concrete using the ML model. A framework using Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) based on algorithms was then proposed to overcome real data usage restrictions. Two types of GAN algorithms were selected for the data synthesis in the research: Tabular Generative Adversarial Networks (TGAN) and Conditional Tabular Generative Adversarial Networks (CTGAN). The testing results suggested that the CTGAN-NN model shows improved testing performances and higher computational efficiency than the TGAN model. In conclusion, the AI-guided concrete strength sensing and prediction approaches developed in this dissertation will be a steppingstone towards accomplishing the reliable and intelligent assessment of in-situ concrete structures.</p><br>

<p dir="ltr">In this research, a novel acoustic sensor with a waveguide is made to induce the local volumetric resonance of concrete material. The sensor is embedded in fresh concrete and monitors the in-place elastic modulus and strength development of the concrete. The resonant peak of the EMI spectrum of the sensor is governed by the concrete material in the proximate area of the sensor. The sensor itself does not affect the position of the resonant peak.</p><p dir="ltr">This research covers theoretical demonstration, sensor design and prototyping, remote testing systems, experimental study, and machine learning. Current work demonstrated the sensor successfully produced the resonant peaks that are related to the concrete curing process (R-square=0.86 for lab testing and R-square=0.64 for field testing); however, the sensitivity (S=1.00 Hz/psi) of the resonant frequency is not sufficient for practical application.</p><p dir="ltr">Machine learning algorithms were employed to map the EMI spectra to concrete strength profile. Several existing architectures were explored and evaluated. A novel machine learning scheme was proposed and successfully improved the accuracy of prediction. The algorithm is also able to handle real-time data with decent generalization among diverse concrete mixtures.</p><p dir="ltr">The integration test for the sensing system, including the sensor, the data collection device, the data pipeline, and the trained machine learning models, was performed in field testing of eight States. The averaged MAPE of the field prediction results is 23.43% for field structures and 16.13% for companion beam samples.</p><p dir="ltr">The knowledge produced during this study further advanced the application of EMI sensors in the NDE of concrete material. The EMI resonator tailored for local structural resonance is reported in this study for the first time. The EMI data processing algorithm using machine learning that is generalizable among various concrete mixtures is employed in this study for the first time. This study would be helpful for the real-world application of the EMI technique in the NDE of concrete and other phase-changing materials.</p>

Orientador: Jozué Vieira Filho / Banca: Vicente Lopes Junior / Banca: Carlos Antonio. Barros Alves / Banca: Carlos de Marqui Junior / Banca: Washington Luiz de Melo / Resumo: A técnica da impedância eletromecânica (E/M) tem sido amplamente pesquisada para o desenvolvimento de sistemas de SHM (Structural Health Monitoring - monitoramento de integridade estrutural) em diversas aplicações. Embora existam muitos trabalhos que indiquem a eficiência e a viabilidade dessa técnica, alguns problemas práticos em aplicações reais ainda precisam ser investigados. A medição da impedância elétrica, etapa básica da técnica, geralmente é realizada por instrumentos comerciais volumosos, pesados e de alto custo, características proibitivas para muitas aplicações. A seleção da faixa de frequência em que a impedância deve ser medida para assegurar boa sensibilidade ao dano é feita por métodos de tentativa e erro ou por metodologias que utilizam dados medidos em uma quantidade considerável de testes. Além disso, o dimensionamento dos transdutores é feito sem um embasamento teórico, independentemente das características da estrutura monitorada. Neste trabalho é proposto um sistema de medição de impedância elétrica rápido, versátil e de baixo custo que substitui com eficiência os instrumentos comerciais. A partir de um circuito eletromecânico equivalente, o efeito de carregamento do transdutor devido à estrutura monitorada foi analisado. A análise do efeito de carregamento permite dimensionar corretamente o transdutor de acordo com a estrutura monitorada e assegurar um bom desempenho do sistema. O circuito eletromecânico também foi utilizado para determinar, teoricamente, as faixas de frequência em que o transdutor tem boa sensibilidade e auxiliar na seleção da faixa de frequência adequada para a detecção de danos estruturais. Todas as metodologias propostas foram verificadas através de experimentos em estruturas de alumínio e houve uma boa concordância entre os resultados teóricos e experimentais / Abstract: The electromechanical (E/M) impedance technique has been widely studied for the development of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems in various applications. Although there are many studies indicating the effectiveness and feasibility of this technique, some practical issues in real applications yet should be investigated. The electrical impedance measurement, basic stage of the technique, is usually performed by bulky, heavy and expensive instruments; these features are prohibitive for many applications. The selection of the frequency range in which the electrical impedance must be measured to ensure good sensitivity for damage detection is performed by trial and error methods or by methodologies that use measured data in a considerable amount of tests. Furthermore, the design of the transducer is done without theoretical basis, regardless the characteristics of the host structure. In this work, a fast, versatile and low-cost electrical impedance measurement system was developed; the proposed system successfully replaces the conventional instruments. From an equivalent electromechanical circuit, the transducer loading effect due to the host structure was analyzed. The analysis of the loading effect allows the correct design of the transducer according to the host structure for ensure a good performance of the system. The electromechanical circuit was also used to theoretically determine the frequency ranges in which the transducer has good sensitivity and assist in the selection of the suitable frequency range for structural damage detection. All proposed methodologies were validated by experimental tests on aluminum structures and there was a good match between the theoretical and practical results / Doutor