• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1347-1355
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• 2009

This paper demonstrates the validity of spectral element analysis for modeling the high-frequency dynamic behaviors of a beam with a surface-bonded piezoelectric wafer through a laboratory test. In the spectral element analysis, the high-frequency electro-mechanical interaction can be considered properly with relatively low computational cost compared to the finite element analysis. In the verification test, a cantilever beam with a surface-bonded piezoelectric wafer is forced to be in steady-state motion by exerting the harmonic driving voltage signal on the piezoelectric wafer. A laser scanning vibrometer is used to obtain the overall dynamic responses of the structure such as resonance frequencies, the associated mode shapes, and frequency response functions up to 20 kHz. Then, these dynamic responses from the test are compared to those computed by the spectral element analysis. A two-dimensional finite analysis is conducted to obtain the asymptotic solutions for the comparison purpose as well.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.6 no.7
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• pp.851-866
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• 2010

This paper presents a new concept of using PZT (lead zircornate titanate) transducers as a non-destructive testing (NDT) tool for evaluating quality of concrete. Detection of defects in concrete is very important in order to check the integrity of concrete structures. The electro-mechanical impedance (EMI) response of PZT transducers bonded onto a concrete specimen can be used for evaluating local condition of the specimen. Measurements are carried out by electrically exciting the bonded PZT transducers at high frequency range and taking response measurements of the transducers. In this study, the compression test results showed that concrete specimens without sufficient compaction are likely to fall below the desired strength. In addition, the strength of concrete was greatly reduced as the voids in concrete were increased. It was found that the root mean square deviation (RMSD) values yielded between the EMI signatures for concrete specimens in dry and saturated states showed good agreement with the specimens' compressive strength and permeable voids. A quality metric was introduced for predicting the quality of concrete based on the dry-saturated state of concrete specimens. The simplicity of the method and the current development towards low cost and portable impedance measuring system, offer an advantage over other NDE methods for evaluating concrete quality.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.197-202
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• 2008

In this paper, a hybrid vibration-impedance approaches is newly proposed to detect the occurrence of damage, the location of damage, and extent of damage in steel plate-girder bridges. The hybrid scheme mainly consists of three sequential phases: 1) to alarm the occurrence of damage, 2) to classify the alarmed damage, and 3) to estimate the classified damage in detail. Damage types of interest include flexural stiffness-loss in girder and bolts-loose in supports. In the first phase, the global occurrence of damage is alarmed by monitoring changes in acceleration features. In the second phase, the alarmed damage is classified into subsystems by recognizing patterns of impedance features. In the final phase, the location and the extent of damage are estimated by using modal strain energy-based damage index method and root mean square deviation method. The feasibility of the proposed system is evaluated on a laboratory-scaled steel plate-girder bridge model for which hybrid vibration-impedance signatures were measured for several damage scenarios.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.501-508
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• 2007

This paper presents the feasibility of using electromechanical impedance based active sensing technique for nondestructive strength gain monitoring of early-age concrete by employing piezoelectric lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) patches on concrete surface. The strength development of early age concrete is actively monitored by performing a series of experiments on concrete specimens under moist curing condition. The electrical admittance signatures are acquired for five different curing ages and compared with each other. The resonant frequency shifts of PZT patches with increasing days is observed which is on account of additional stiffening due to strength gain of concrete during curing and level of stiffening being related to strength obtained from compression tests on companion cylinder specimens. The proposed approach is found to be suitable for monitoring the development of compressive strength in early-age concrete. It is also observed in this study that root mean square deviation (RMSD) in admittance signatures of the PZT patches can also be used as an indicator of concrete strength development.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.10 no.6 s.52
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• pp.57-65
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• 2006

This paper presents hybrid structural damage monitoring system which performs both global damage assessment of structure and damage detection of local structural joints. Hybrid damage monitoring system is composed of vibration-based technique and electro/mechanic impedance technique. Vibration-based technique detects global characteristic change ot structure using modal characteristic change of structure, and electro/mechanical impedance technique detects damage existence of local structural joints using impedance change of PZT sensor. For the verification of the proposed hybrid monitoring system, a series of damage scenarios are designed to loosened bolts situations of the structural joints, and acceleration response and impedance response signatures are measured. The proposed hybrid monitoring system is implemented to monitor global damage-state and local damages in structural joints.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.389-395
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• 2016

The evolution of electro-mechanical impedance (EMI) of the piezoelectricity (PZT) sensor was investigated to determine the setting times of cementitious materials in this study. The PZT sensor coated with non-conductive acrylic resin was embedded in cement paste before casting and the EMI signatures were continuously measured. Vicat needle test and semi-adiabatic calorimetry test were also conducted to justify the validity of EMI senssing technique in setting monitoring of cementitious materials. The results show that significant changes in EMI resonant peak magnitude and frequency during setting process were observed, and that the setting times determined by EMI sensing technique were relevant to the setting times measured by Vicat needle test and semi-adiabatic calorimetry test.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.607-614
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• 2012

In this study, the evolution of the electro-mechanical impedance (EMI) of a piezoelectric (PZT) patch embedded in fresh cement paste was investigated to discuss the possibility of monitoring the setting process of cement-based materials using an EMI sensing technique. A tailored thin square PZT patch was embedded in cement paste before casting, and EMI signatures of the embedded patch were continuously measured from casting up to 12 hours. A standard penetration resistance test was performed to compare and correlate the evolution of EMI during the setting process. The results showed that EMI responses differ according to the age of the cement paste, and that the behavior of the EMI resonance peak has a clear correlation with the penetration resistance of the cement paste. Based on the results, it is concluded that an EMI sensing technique using embedded PZT patch can be effectively applied to monitor the setting process of cement-based materials.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.719-743
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• 2011

A hybrid damage monitoring scheme using parallel acceleration-impedance approaches is proposed to detect girder damage and support damage in steel plate-girder bridges which are under ambient train-induced excitations. The hybrid scheme consists of three phases: global and local damage monitoring in parallel manner, damage occurrence alarming and local damage identification, and detailed damage estimation. In the first phase, damage occurrence in a structure is globally monitored by changes in vibration features and, at the same moment, damage occurrence in local critical members is monitored by changes in impedance features. In the second phase, the occurrence of damage is alarmed and the type of damage is locally identified by recognizing patterns of vibration and impedance features. In the final phase, the location and severity of the locally identified damage are estimated by using modal strain energy-based damage index methods. The feasibility of the proposed scheme is evaluated on a steel plate-girder bridge model which was experimentally tested under model train-induced excitations. Acceleration responses and electro-mechanical impedance signatures were measured for several damage scenarios of girder damage and support damage.