A functionally layered sensing skin for the detection of corrosive elements and cracking

In this paper, we propose an electrical impedance tomography (EIT)-based multifunctional surface sensing system, or sensing skin, for structural health monitoring. More specifically, the EIT-based sensing skin is developed for detecting and localizing the ingress of chlorides and cracking: two phenomena which are of concern in many structures, including reinforced concrete structures. The multifunctional sensing skin is made of two layers: one layer is sensitive to both chlorides and cracking, and the other layer is sensitive to cracking only. In the experiments, the sensing skin is tested on a polymeric and concrete substrate. The results demonstrate the feasibility of using the multifunctional multi-layer sensing skin for detecting and localizing corrosive elements and cracking, and for distinguishing between them.