• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.369-379
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• 2015

Friction in a post-tensioning system has a significant effect on the distribution of the prestressing force of tendons in prestressed concrete structures. However, attempts to derive friction coefficients using conventional electrical resistance strain gauges do not usually lead to reliable results, mainly due to the damage of sensors and lead wires during the insertion of strands into the sheath and during tensioning. In order to overcome these drawbacks of the existing measurement system, the Smart Strand was developed in this study to accurately measure the strain and prestressing force along the strand. In the Smart Strand, the core wire of a 7-wire strand is replaced with carbon fiber reinforced polymer in which the fiber Bragg grating sensors are embedded. As one of the applications of the Smart Strand, friction coefficients were evaluated using a full-scale test of a 20 m long beam. The test variables were the curvature, diameter, and filling ratio of the sheath. The analysis results showed the average wobble and curvature friction coefficients of 0.0038/m and 0.21/radian, respectively, which correspond to the middle of the range specified in ACI 318-08 in the U.S. and Structural Concrete Design Code in Korea. Also, the accuracy of the coefficients was improved by reducing the effective range specified in these codes by 27-34 %. This study shows the wide range of applicability of the developed Smart Strand system.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.287-294
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• 2008

This study proposes a novel method for in service evaluation of tension force of a prestressed 7-wire strand which is frequently employed for retrofitting bridge superstructure. The smart strand is made by replacing the straight king wire of the strand with an instrumented steel tube in which the FBG sensor is embedded. Since the strain of the smart strand can easily be measured using the sensor, it is possible to monitor tension force of the strand during the service. For the sake of demonstrating effectiveness of the proposed strand, we came up with a 7.0m long prototype with 2 FBG sensors, and it is applied as an external tendon to a 6.4m long and 0.6 high RC T-shaped beam. A loading-unloading test has been carried out, and estimated tension forces using the smart strand are compared with measured forces by load cell. The comparison showed that the proposed smart tendon is useful and accurate for monitering tension force of the prestressed tendon.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.133-138
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• 2008

This study proposes a novel method for in-service evaluation of force in an external prestressing 7-wire tendon which is employed for retrofitting bridge superstructure. For this propose, a smart strand 7.0m long whose king wire is replaced by a steel tube and the FBG sensor, is developed. Performance of the strand is demonstrated through loading-unloading tests for a RC T-shaped beam 6.4m long. Finally, a couple of test results are presented to discuss effect of temperature change in the FBG sensor.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.463-477
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• 2022

In this paper, a hybrid vibration-impedance-based damage monitoring approach is experimentally evaluated for prestressed concrete (PSC) structures with local strand breakage. Firstly, the hybrid monitoring scheme is designed to alert damage occurrence from changes in vibration characteristics and to localize strand breakage from changes in impedance signatures. Secondly, a full-scale PSC anchorage is experimented to measure global vibration responses and local impedance responses under a sequence of simulated strand-breakage events. Finally, the measured data are analyzed using the hybrid monitoring framework. The change of structural condition (i.e., damage extent) induced by the local strand breakage is estimated by changes in a few natural frequencies obtained from a few accelerometers in the structure. The damaged strand is locally identified by tomography analysis of impedance features measured via an array of PZT (lead-zirconate-titanate) sensors mounted on the anchorage. Experimental results demonstrate that the strand breakage in the PSC structure can be accurately assessed by using the combined vibration and impedance features.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.79-86
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• 2009

With the substantial increase of the size of structure, the management of excavation becomes more difficult. Therefore, massive collapses which are related to retaining wall recently increase. However, since the study on measuring and monitoring the pre-stressing force of anchor is insufficient, behavior of anchor may not be predicted and monitored appropriately by the existing strain gauge and load cell type monitoring system. FBG Sensor, which is smaller than strain gauge and has better durability and does not have a noise from electromagnetic waves, is adapted to measure the strain and pre-stressing force of 7-wire strand, so called smart tendon. A series of pullout tests were performed to verify the feasibility of smart tendon and find out the load transfer mechanism around the steel wire tendon fixed to rock with grout. Distribution of measured strains and estimated shear stresses are compared with those predicted by theoretical solutions. It was found that developed smart tendon can be used effectively for measuring strain of 7-wire strand anchor and theoretical solutions underestimate the magnitude of shear stress and load transfer depth.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.303-317
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• 2011

A specially designed tendon, which is proposed by embedding an FBG sensor into the center king cable of a 7-wire strand tendon, was applied to monitor the prestress force and load transfer of ground anchor. A series of tensile tests and a model pullout test were performed to verify the feasibility of the proposed smart tendon as a measuring sensor of tension force and load transfer along the tendon. The smart tendon has proven to be very effective for monitoring prestress force and load transfer by measuring the strain change of the tendon at the free part and the fixed part of ground anchor, respectively. Two 11.5 m long proto-type ground anchors were made simply by replacing a tendon with the proposed smart tendon and prestress forces of each anchor were monitored during the loading-unloading step using both FBG sensor embedded in the smart tendon and the conventional load cell. By comparing the prestress forces measured by the smart tendon and load cell, it was found that the prestress force monitored from the FBG sensor located at the free part is comparable to that measured from the conventional load cell. Furthermore, the load transfer of prestressing force at the tendon-grout interface was clearly measured from the FBGs distributed along the fixed part. From these pullout tests, the proposed smart tendon is not only expected to be an alternative monitoring tool for measuring prestress force from the introducing stage to the long-term period for health monitoring of the ground anchor but also can be used to improve design practice through determining the economic fixed length by practically measuring the load transfer depth.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.707-714
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• 2015

In this paper, an experimental program has been conducted to investigate transfer length in high strength concrete members pretensioned through a seven-wire strand with FBG sensors. To measure transfer length, five members were fabricated, which had a length of 3 m and a cross-section of $150{\times}150mm$. It was measured that the concrete compressive strength was 58MPa at pretensioning. Test results indicated that more precise and reliable measurement on the transfer length was attained with FBG sensors than conventional gauges attached on concrete surface. Through comparing the measured transfer length and predictions, applicability of several transfer length models in literature was investigated. This paper can be useful for relevant research field such as investigation on the bond mechanism of a seven-wire strand in concrete members.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.415-433
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• 2015

Tendon failures in bonded post-tensioned bridges over the last two decades have motivated ongoing investigations on various aspects of unbonded tendons and their monitoring methods. Recent research shows that change of strain distribution in anchor heads can be useful in detecting wire breakage in unbonded construction. Based on this strain variation, this paper develops a damage detection model that enables an automated tendon monitoring system to identify and locate wire breaks. The first part of this paper presents an experimental program conducted to study the strain variation in anchor heads by generating wire breaks using a mechanical device. The program comprised three sets of tests with fully populated 19-strand anchor head and evaluated the levels of strain variation with number of wire breaks in different strands. The sensitivity of strain variation with wire breaks in circumferential and radial directions of anchor head in addition to the axial direction (parallel to the strand) were investigated and the measured axial strains were found to be the most sensitive. The second part of the paper focuses on formulating the wire breakage detection framework. A finite element model of the anchorage assembly was created to demonstrate the algorithm as well as to investigate the asymmetric strain distribution observed in experimental results. In addition, as almost inevitably encountered during tendon stressing, the effects of differential wedge seating on the proposed model have been analyzed. A sensitivity analysis has been performed at the end to assess the robustness of the model with random measurement errors.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.17-26
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• 2023

To consider the risk of damage and fracture of P.C strands, the existing post-maintenance system alone has the limitations, hence it is necessary to quantitatively evaluate and predict the deterioration, durability and safety of facilities and establish a reasonable maintenance system considering the asset value of facilities. Therefore, it is worth considering a preventive maintenance plan that allows proactive measures to be taken before a major defect occurs in the temporary anchor. This study devised a preventive over tension method, reviewed its effectiveness through design and field tests, by calculating the resistance factors by performing a reliability-based optimization design. At this time, the over tension anchor method was evaluated using the ratio of the residual tension force after the fracture of P.C strands to the effective tension force before the fracture of P.C strand, followed by the resistance factor calculated by the optimal solution for each random variables using Excel solver and applying it to the limit state equations. As a result of the study, if the over tension ratio is 125% to 130%, the remaining strands showed a high resistance effect even after the fracture of P.C strand. As a result of the optimization design, it was found that it is appropriate to apply the load factor (γ) of 1.25, and the resistance factors of Φ₁, Φ₂, Φ₃ as 0.7, 0.5, 0.6.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.269-277
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• 2017

Recently, there has been significant interest in structural health monitoring for civil engineering applications. In this research, a specially designed tendon, proposed by embedding FBG sensors into the center king cable of a 7-wire strand tendon, was applied for long-term health monitoring of tensile forces on a ground anchor. To make temperature independent sensors, the effective temperature compensation of FBG sensors must be considered. The temperature sensitivity coefficient ${\beta}^{\prime}$ of the FBG sensors embedded tendon was successfully determined to be $2.0{\times}10^{-5}^{\circ}C^{-1}$ through calibrated tests in both a model rock body and a laboratory heat chamber. Furthermore, the obtained result for ${\beta}^{\prime}$ was formally verified through the ground temperature measurement test, expectedly. As a result, the ground temperature measured by a thermometer showed good agreement compared to that measured by the proposed FBG sensor, which was calibrated considering to the temperature sensitivity coefficient ${\beta}^{\prime}$. Finally, four prototype ground anchors including two tension ground anchors and two compression ground anchors made by replacing a tendon with the proposed smart tendon were installed into an actual slope at the Yeosu site. Tensile forces, after temperature compensation was taken into account using the verified temperature sensitivity coefficient ${\beta}^{\prime}$ and ground temperature obtained from the Korean Meteorological Administration (KMA) have been monitored for over one year, and the results were very consistent to those measured from the load cell, interestingly.