Sensing accumulated cracking with smart coated and uncoated carbon based TRC

The study investigates the sensitivity of hybrid coated and un-coated carbon-based textile reinforced concrete (TRC) beams to detect and distinguish between different and accumulated levels of cracking. The sensing concept is based on using the electrical conductivity of embedded carbon rovings reinforcement as the monitoring system. The focus is on the influence of coating on the structural-electrical response and its capabilities to detect the severity of cracking. Two TRC beams reinforced with uncoated and coated AR-glass/carbon-based textile were investigated under cyclic mechanical loading. The study demonstrates that the micro and macro structural mechanisms of both beams are reflected in the electrical signal and can be quantitatively correlated to the level of damage. The sensing capabilities of the textile yields stable, repeatable, sensitive and consistent electrical readings for monitoring needs. However, in case of coated textile, while coating improves the structural performance, it limits the sensing capabilities in distinguishing macro-cracking scenarios.