A study on thermal self-diagnostic and self-adaptive smart concrete structures

Smart structures are made by embedding sensors, actuators, and controllers into the structure during manufacture. Carbon fiber reinforced concrete (CF RC) can be used as both thermal sensor and thermal actuator because of the Seebeck effect and electrothermal effect, which have been reported. In this paper, two kinds of thermal smart concrete structure are designed using CF RC. First, the smart concrete beam embedded with four CFRC sensors is studi ed. Experimental results show that the smart concrete beam with CFRC sensor s can monitor the process of the heat transfer and temperatures inside conc rete. Then, embedding a CFRC sensor into a CFRC plate and connecting it to a controller result in a smart concrete system. Results show that it operat es in situ, in-line temperature measurement and control with excellent stab ility. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.