Autonomous Sensing Skin for Detection and Localization of Fatigue Cracks, TR-672

Early detection of possible defects in civil infrastructure is vital to ensuring timely maintenance and extended life expectancy. A common structural problem for bridges is the growth of fatigue cracks in steel members. While these cracks can be detected using nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques, automating the monitoring process would result in substantial savings in repair costs, and enhanced structural health and safety. This process is known as structural health monitoring (SHM). Existing SHM techniques are not suitable for monitoring of fatigue cracks. For instance, off-the-shelf strain gages are small and can only be installed at specific locations, and are therefore incapable of detecting new fatigue cracks. Indirect methods exist for diagnosing new fatigue cracks from strain gages or accelerometers, but these techniques also fail at crack localization. It follows that there is a need to develop a low cost autonomous sensing solution capable of detecting and localizing fatigue cracks.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Collaboration with University of Kansas, performing separately funded aspect of project.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $92150.00
• Contract Numbers:

  TR 672

  ISU proposal 126536

  Add 494

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Iowa Department of Transportation

  800 Lincoln Way
  Ames, IA  United States  50010
• Project Managers:

  Goetz, Vanessa

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Kansas, Lawrence

  2600 Learned Hall
  Lawrence, KS  United States  66045

  Iowa State University, Ames

  Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering
  Town Engineering Building
  Ames, IA  United States  50011-3232
• Principal Investigators:

  Li, Jian

  Phares, Brent

  Laflamme, Simon

• Start Date: 20140109
• Expected Completion Date: 20180831
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• Source Data: RiP Project 35994

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Fatigue cracking; Infrastructure; Nondestructive tests; Sensors; Service life; Strain gages; Structural health monitoring
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Data and Information Technology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01504640
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Iowa Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: TR 672, ISU proposal 126536, Add 494
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jan 25 2014 1:00AM