Cable tension monitoring is important to control the structural performance variation of cable-supported structures. Based on the elasto-magnetic effect and the self-induction phenomenon, a new non-destructive evaluation method was proposed for cable tension monitoring. The method was called the elasto-magnetic induction (EMI) method. By analyzing the working mechanism of the EMI method, a set of cable tension monitoring systems was presented. The primary coil and the induction unit of the traditional elasto-magnetic (EM) sensor were simplified into a self-induction coil. A numerical analysis was conducted to prove the validity of the EMI method. Experimental verification of the steel cable specimens was conducted to validate the feasibility of the EMI method. To process the tension monitoring, data processing and tension calculation methods were proposed. The results of the experimental verification indicated that different cables of the same batch can be calibrated by one proper equation. The results of the numerical analysis and the experimental verification demonstrated that the cable tension can be monitored both at the tension-applying stage and the tension-loss stage. The proposed EMI method and the given monitoring system are feasible to monitor the cable tension with high sensitivity, fast response, and easy installation.

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In an actual structure, the arrangement of steel bars is complicated, there are many factors affecting the corrosion of steel bars, and these factors affect each other. However, accurately reflecting the corrosion of steel bars in actual engineering through theoretical calculations is difficult. Besides, it is impossible to detect and evaluate steel bars rust completely and accurately. This article is based on spontaneous magnetic leakage detection technology and adopts the method of stage corrosion and scanning along the reinforcing bar. Based on spontaneous magnetic flux leakage detection technology, the linear change rate of the tangential component curve of the magnetic flux leakage signal generated after the corrosion of a steel bar is studied, and a comparison is made between the steel bar coated concrete samples with different steel bar diameters. In this paper, the “origin of magnetic flux leakage signal” is defined as a reference point, which is convenient for effectively comparing the magnetic signal curves under all operating conditions. Besides, the “rust-magnetic fluctuation parameter” is proposed to accurately reflect the sudden change of leakage magnetic field caused by disconnection due to the corrosion of a steel bar. A new data processing method is provided for the non-destructive testing of steel corrosion using the spontaneous magnetic flux leakage effect, which can effectively reduce the influence of steel bar diameter on magnetic flux leakage signal and improve the precision of non-destructive testing technology of steel bar corrosion using the metal magnetic memory effect.

Cable tension monitoring is vital for the health monitoring of cable-stayed bridges. During the service of bridges, cable tension fluctuates rather than monotonously changes. However, existing research works pay little attention to the influence of tension history. In this article, the influence of the tension history on the monitoring of cable tension was studied. To guide the experiment, the magnetization theory of ferromagnetic materials and the electromagnetic induction principle were combined to analyze the theory of the magnetoelastic inductance method. The magnetoelastic inductance method characterized cable tension by sensor inductance. Based on the theoretical analysis, tension monitoring experiments were carried out to figure out the influences of design tension and tension variation. Experimental results showed the design tension and the tension variation influenced the relationship between the inductance and the tension. To monitor the fluctuating tension, a secant method was proposed. When the tension changed less than 30% of the design tension, the tension can be ascertained by the secant method. The experimental results demonstrated that the influence of the tension history should be considered when the design tension was different or the tension variation was large. Besides, the influence of the tension history analyzed in this article is suitable for other tension monitoring methods based on the magnetic properties of ferromagnetic materials.

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A set of rust detecting system for reinforced concrete was designed based on the electromagnetic pulsed eddy current (EPEC). The EPEC detecting test on the reinforced concrete specimens with different reinforcement diameters was performed. The finite element (FE) model was established. The results of the reinforcement position experiment show the Hall voltage peak value (HVPV) of the same lift-off value positively correlates with the reinforcement's diameter, and the HVPV declines fast with the increase of the lift-off value. The rust experiments results show that with the same liftoff value, the HVPV increases with the increase of the horizontal distance from the Hall sensor to the reinforcement in the specimen. When the Hall sensor is at the same position, the HVPV increases with the increase of the diameter of the reinforcement in the concrete. The Hall voltage (HV), the HVPV, and the time of pulse rising (TOPR) of the same specimen are greater in the rust-free point than in the rusted points. And the results of the numerical simulation verify the validity of the conclusions of the physical experiments. Our above study shows that the detecting method can locate the reinforcement in the concrete accurately and ascertain its diameter effectively. Furthermore, the detecting method can identify the rust region of the reinforcement swiftly and evaluate the rust degree rapidly.

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