Self-Monitoring of Reinforced Concrete Beam Bending with Carbon Nanofiber Polyurethane Composite

To examine the intelligent sensing properties of polyurethane cement mixed with carbon nanofiber and used as beam reinforcement material, 7 reinforced concrete T-beams were made and reinforced with carbon nanofiber polyurethane cement material (CPUC). Four-point bending tests were conducted. Reinforcing concrete beams with CPUC material might increase the yield load and ultimate load of beams significantly. The overall stiffness of the reinforced beam was enhanced. CPUC played a significant inhibitory role in the formation and development of beam cracks. A sudden change in the rate of CPUC resistance can be used to monitor the yield of a steel bar, and then, a safety warning for the components can be launched. By establishing a model of the relationship between the resistance change rate and the external load, the bearing capacity of the beam is evaluated in real time, and the dual effects of reinforcement and health monitoring of the beam are realized simultaneously.

This creative work has been published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY 4.0) license which allows copying, and redistribution as well as adaptation of the original work provided appropriate credit is given to the original author and the conditions of the license are met.