Portable Measurement Systems Based on Microcontrollers to Test Durability of Structures: Mini-Review

Abstract

Corrosion presence is a recurrent concern in buildings and structures that use steel as their core or as reinforcement, due to the change of steel's properties caused by this phenomena. Therefore, methods to detect and quantify corrosion had been developed; some are based on electrical and electrochemical measurements. On reinforced concrete structures, sometimes there are exposed steel bars which are visible, but on those, a visual inspection could determine corrosion presence. There exist different options to measure the steel bars' corrosion and its level. The more straight forward consists of cutting through the concrete until the bar is exposed and connecting a measurement device there. A disadvantage of this technique is that steel has to be exposed to the environment during the measurement; as an alternative, novel contact-less electrochemical techniques are getting more popular. Recent advances in low-cost and portable electrochemical devices and embedded sensors can change how the structures are tested. Moreover, there is a discussion about how those devices, if developed for other fields as biosensors, can assist in other areas. This mini-review also gives some hints of what the future trends could be due to the combination of those areas.

ConcrEITS: An Electrical Impedance Interrogator for Concrete Damage Detection Using Self-Sensing Repairs

“…There is a clear need for low-power, low-cost and portable EITS interrogators optimised for wireless concrete structural health monitoring if this technology is to gain wider industry application. Low-power, portable devices for corrosion and electrochemical testing of concrete has been demonstrated and examples have been summarised by Segura et al [11], including a wireless potentiostat [12]. Electrical resistance tomography (ERT) has been demonstrated for crack detection in concrete via an electrically conductive paint (although the interrogators used were not outlined) [13].…”