Galvanic wireless sensor for monitoring concrete hydration process

This work is focused on the design and development of a galvanic wireless sensor for monitoring the hydration of cement within concrete structures. This is motivated by the lack of a simple, accurate, compact, and low cost technique to accomplish such an important task in the construction industry. The design strength of concrete is influenced by the hydration of the cement paste contained in the concrete mixture. The development of new concrete structures and civil engineering projects presents an opportunity to implement new technologies to monitor the structural health of concrete.;The device discussed in this thesis uses a galvanic cell to monitor the hydration process of concrete. The sensor is made of two dissimilar metal electrodes that, when in contact with cement paste in concrete, form a galvanic cell. The operation of the sensor is possible because the complex reactions through the hydration process of cement produce different concentrations of charged particles, as well as a variable mobility due to the water content in the mixture. The galvanic wireless sensor was designed to be embedded into the concrete structure of interest. The device measures and stores data through the hydration process; the data can then be retrieved wirelessly using a receiver interface and a custom PC application. The work performed resulted in an inexpensive working prototype used to monitor the hydration process of several batches of cement mixtures. The results show a reproducible voltage pattern across the galvanic cell that relates to the hydration process of cement.