Estimation of Early-Age Strength of Alkali Activated Slag Concrete Using Embedded Piezoelectric Sensors

Abstract

Recently, studies on cementless concrete with the advantages of greenhouse gas reduction and high strength have been actively pursued as the public interest in the development of environmentally friendly concrete and increase in the life expectancy of the structure has increased. On the other hand, in the case of cementless concrete, it is essential to observe the strength change at the initial stage of curing and to measure the precise strength because there is a risk of damage and collapse of the structure due to the sudden drop in strength of the concrete during or after construction. In this study, wave mode decomposition method was used to estimate the early-age strength of alkali activated concrete. Experiments were carried out to observe that the shape of the wave measured by each sensor changes as the internal temperature of the concrete rises due to internal hydration heat following the insertion of the embedded piezoelectric sensor module into the specimen immediately after the concrete pouring. As the time elapsed, it was observed that the arrival time and amplitude of the wave were changing. So it was confirmed that the early-age strength of concrete can be estimated through this study. © 2019 IEEE.