Experimental crack length detection in concrete pavement using　point strain sensors

摘要

In concrete pavements, one of the main deteriorations and damages is tensile cracking, which can destroyconcrete pavement frame when sub surface cracks propagate to the surface because it induces waterpenetration in pavement structure and foundation. However, detecting the propagation, especially the cracklength, of hidden cracks inside pavements is very challenging. This paper presents the results of anexperimental investigation conducted to detect crack length in concrete using point strain sensors in thebottom of the simulated pavements in a bending test with four-point loading. The linear elastic fracturemechanics is used in this study to calculate the crack lengths based on the collected data from point sensors.Results for the crack length detection in experiments showed a measurement accuracy of 88.85%, 87.7%,and 81.08 % for the three specimens tested, respectively. This study provides an alternative technique todetect hidden bottom-up cracks in concrete pavements.