Carbon Fibre Based Strain and Leakage Sensors for Sustainable TRC Infrastructures

Preventing damage over time contributes decisively to the sustainability over the lifespan of infrastructures. The development of smart protective measures to detect structural risks early is an urgent need in sustainable construction. Continuous carbon fibre rovings are suitable for use as reinforcing textile grids in concrete through their high modulus and alkali resistance. Additionally, their electrical conductivity allows for integration as sensors of strain change or leakage in concrete structures such as bridges and pipes. To realize a textile reinforcement for concrete structures various parameters like fibre material and orientation, grid opening, binding type and stitching length, textile dimensioning (2D, 3D) and coating are implicated. These affect not only the mechanical characteristics of the reinforcement but also the sensing properties of the carbon fibre rovings. This study delivers an overview on the use of carbon fibre based sensors in concrete structures and their characteristic changes as a function of different textile parameters.