• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.321-341
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• 2011

Acoustic emission (AE) monitoring was conducted for mortar specimens under three types of static loading patterns (cubic-splitting, direct-shear and pull-out). Each of the applied loading patterns was expected to produce a particular fracture process. Subsequently, the AEs generated by various fracture or damage processes carried specific information on temporal micro-crack behaviors of concrete for post analysis, which was represented in the form of detected AE signal characteristics. Among various available characteristics of acquired AE signals, frequency content was of great interest. In this study, cement-based piezoelectric sensor (as AE transducer) and home-programmed DEcLIN monitoring system were utilized for AE monitoring on mortar. The cement-based piezoelectric sensor demonstrated enhanced sensitivity and broad frequency domain response range after being embedded into mortar specimens. This broad band characteristic of cement-based piezoelectric sensor in frequency domain response benefited the analysis of frequency content of AE. Various evaluation methods were introduced and employed to clarify the variation characteristics of AE frequency content in each test. It was found that the variation behaviors of AE frequency content exhibited a close relationship with the applied loading processes during the tests.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.123-134
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• 2016

The evolution of the electro-mechanical impedance (EMI) of a piezoelectricity (PZT) sensor was investigated to determine the setting times of cement paste in this study. The PZT sensor coated with non-conductive acrylic resin was embedded in fresh cement paste and the EMI signatures were continuously monitored. Vicat needle test and semi-adiabatic calorimetry test were also conducted to validate the EMI sensing technique. Significant changes in the EMI resonance peak magnitude and frequency during the setting period were observed and the setting times determined by EMI sensing technique were relevant to those measured by Vicat needle test and semi-adiabatic calorimetry test.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.6 no.5_6
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• pp.641-659
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• 2010

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) gradually becomes a technique for ensuring the health and safety of civil infrastructures and is also an important approach for the research of the damage accumulation and disaster evolving characteristics of civil infrastructures. It is attracting prodigious research interests and the active development interests of scientists and engineers because a great number of civil infrastructures are planned and built every year in mainland China. In a SHM system the sheer number of accompanying wires, fiber optic cables, and other physical transmission medium is usually prohibitive, particularly for such structures as offshore platforms and long-span structures. Fortunately, with recent advances in technologies in sensing, wireless communication, and micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS), wireless sensor technique has been developing rapidly and is being used gradually in the SHM of civil engineering structures. In this paper, some recent advances in the research, development, and implementation of wireless sensors for the SHM of civil infrastructures in mainland China, especially in Dalian University of Technology (DUT) and Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), are introduced. Firstly, a kind of wireless digital acceleration sensors for structural global monitoring is designed and validated in an offshore structure model. Secondly, wireless inclination sensor systems based on Frequency-hopping techniques are developed and applied successfully to swing monitoring of large-scale hook structures. Thirdly, wireless acquisition systems integrating with different sensing materials, such as Polyvinylidene Fluoride(PVDF), strain gauge, piezoresistive stress/strain sensors fabricated by using the nickel powder-filled cement-based composite, are proposed for structural local monitoring, and validating the characteristics of the above materials. Finally, solutions to the key problem of finite energy for wireless sensors networks are discussed, with future works also being introduced, for example, the wireless sensor networks powered by corrosion signal for corrosion monitoring and rapid diagnosis for large structures.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2014

This study was aimed to compare the radiopacity of four kinds of currently available resin based implant cements using digital radiography. Materials and Methods: Four resin-based implant cements((Estemp $Implant^{TM}$ (Spident, Incheon, Korea), $Premier^{(R)}$Implant (Premier, Pennsylvania, USA), $Cem-Implant^{TM}$ (B.J.M lab, Or-yehuda, Israel), $InterCem^{TM}$ (SCI-PHARM, California, USA)) and control group (Elite Cement $100^{TM}$ (GC, Tokyo, Japan) ) were mixed and cured according to the manufacturer's instructions on the custom made split-type metal mold. A total of 150 specimens of each cement were prepared and each specimen (purity over 99%) was placed side-by-side with an aluminum step wedge for image taking with Intraoral X-ray unit (Esx, Vatech, Korea) and digital X-ray sensor (EzSensor, Vatech, Korea). For the evaluation of aluminum wedge equivalent thickness (mm Al), ImageJ 1.47 m (Wayne Rasband, National Institutes of Health, USA) and Color inspector 3D ver 2.0 (Interaktive Visualisierung von Farbraumen, Berlin, Germany) programs were used. Result: Among the 5 cements, Elite cement $100^{TM}$ (control group) showed the highest radio-opacity in all thickness. In the experimental group, $InterCem^{TM}$ had the highest radio-opacity followed by $Premier^{(R)}$ Implant $Cement^{TM}$, $Cem-Implant^{TM}$ and Estemp $Implant^{TM}$. In addition, $InterCem^{TM}$ showed radio-opacity that met the ISO No. 4049 standard in all the tested specimen thickness. Cem-Implant on 0.5 mm thickness showed radiopacity that met the ISO No. 4049 standard. Conclusion: Among the implant resin-based cements tested in the study, $Premier^{(R)}$ Implant Cement and Estemp $Implant^{TM}$ did not show appropriate radio-opacity. Only $InterCem^{TM}$ and $Cem-Implant^{TM}$ 0.5 mm specimen had the proper radiopacity and met the experiment standard.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.27-34
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• 2024

This study was conducted to examine the feasibility of using Fe-activated wood-derived biochar as a conductive filler for manufacturing cement-based strain sensor. To evaluate the compressive and electrical properties of cement composite with 3% Fe-activated biochar, three cubic specimens of size 50 x 50 x 50mm³ and three prismatic cement-based sensors of size 40 x 40 x 80mm³ were prepared respectively. The four-probe method of electrical resistance measurement was used for cement-based sensors. For cement-based sensors with FE-activated biochar, the conductive performance such as electrical resistance and impedance under different water content and repeated compression was investigated. Results showed that the fractional changes in the DC electrical resistivity of cement-based sensors increase with increasing time and the maximum fractional changes in the resistivity decrease with increasing the moisture contents during 900s. At moisture content of 7.5% range, the conductive performance of cement composite including 3% Fe-activated biochar as a conductive filler showed the most stable, while the strain detection ability tended to decrease somewhat as the repeated compressive stress increased between repeated compressive strain and fractional change in resistivity (FCR).

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2020.11a
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• pp.6-7
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• 2020

The unit-water content of concrete is one of the important factors in determining the quality of concrete and is directly related to the durability of the construction structure, and the current method of measuring the unit-water content of concrete is applied by the Air Meta Act and the Electrostatic Capacity Act. However, there are complex and time-consuming problems with measurement methods. Therefore, high frequency moisture sensor was used for quick and high measurement, and unit-water content of mortar was evaluated through machine running and deep running based on measurement big data.

• Carbon letters
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• v.24
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• pp.90-96
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• 2017

We demonstrated the sensitivity of optically active single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with a diameter below 1 nm that were homogeneously dispersed in cement composites under a mechanical load. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was selected as the dispersing agent to achieve a homogeneous dispersion of SWCNTs in an aqueous solution, and the dispersion state of the SWCNTs were characterized using various optical tools. It was found that the addition of a large amount of DNA prohibited the structural evolution of calcium hydroxide and calcium silicate hydrate. Based on the in-situ Raman and X-ray diffraction studies, it was evident that hydrophilic functional groups within the DNA strongly retarded the hydration reaction. The optimum amount of DNA with respect to the cement was found to be 0.05 wt%. The strong Raman signals coming from the SWCNTs entrapped in the cement composites enabled us to understand their dispersion state within the cement as well as their interfacial interaction. The G and G' bands of the SWCNTs sensitively varied under mechanical compression. Our results indicate that an extremely small amount of SWCNTs can be used as an optical strain sensor if they are homogeneously dispersed within cement composites.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.8 no.4 s.30
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• pp.87-99
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• 2006

This study was conducted to investigate whether the moisture variation aspects in pavement materials can be analyzed based on the convenient and reliable relative humidity(RH) measurement techniques. First, the ambient RH was measured using various sensors and the accuracies and calibration methods of the sensors were examined. Then, the RH of a cement mortar specimen was measured using the reliable sensors and the data was analyzed. In addition, the feasibility of using the RH measurement sensors to analyze the permeability of pavement materials was investigated. From this study, it was found that the Hygrochron was the most appropriate sensor to measure the RH of pavement materials, and the proper installation and calibration methods were developed. The RH of the cement mortar specimen tended to approach the ambient RH and was not much affected by the variation of the ambient RH. The specimen's RH variations at the surface and at the center showed a clear time lag. The RH measurement sensor was also found to be an appropriate tool for water permeability tests, and the methodologies to evaluate the permeability of pavement materials were proposed.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.175-180
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• 2017

The load-carrying capacity and structural behavior of concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) structures is highly influenced by the grouting compactness in the steel tube. Due to the invisibility of the grout in the steel tube, monitoring of the grouting progress in such a structure is still a challenge. This paper develops an active sensing approach with combined piezoceramic-based smart aggregates (SA) and piezoceramic patches to monitor the grouting compactness of CFST bridge structure. A small-scale steel specimen was designed and fabricated to simulate CFST bridge structure in this research. Before casting, four SAs and two piezoceramic patches were installed in the pre-determined locations of the specimen. In the active sensing approach, selected SAs were utilized as actuators to generate designed stress waves, which were detected by other SAs or piezoceramic patch sensors. Since concrete functions as a wave conduit, the stress wave response can be only detected when the wave path between the actuator and the sensor is filled with concrete. For the sake of monitoring the grouting progress, the steel tube specimen was grouted in four stages, and each stage held three days for cement drying. Experimental results show that the received sensor signals in time domain clearly indicate the change of the signal amplitude before and after the wave path is filled with concrete. Further, a wavelet packet-based energy index matrix (WPEIM) was developed to compute signal energy of the received signals. The computed signal energies of the sensors shown in the WPEIM demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method in the monitoring of the grouting progress.

• International Journal of Safety
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.26-29
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is the measurement of whole-body vibration for different road surfaces. Experimental measurements were taken on asphalt, cement, and off-road surfaces as defined by ISO 2631-1. Each experiment was conducted under the same set of conditions (measurement duration, times, speed, vehicle type). Measurement duration was 10 minutes and 3 separate measurements were taken on each road surface. Vehicle speed was 60km/h. In accordance with ISO 2631-1, an acceleration sensor is set up between the driver's seat and the human body. For evaluation, RMS(root-mean-square) values were taken as suggested by ISO 2631-1. The results suggest "health guidance caution zones", and the evaluation was based on obtaining the vector sum with "health guidance caution zones".