Development of ECT sensor for preliminary verification and monitoring of corrosion processes in reinforced concrete structures

• Grant number: 14/08797-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: July 01, 2014 - June 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Electrical Engineering - Electrical, Magnetic and Electronic Measurements, Instrumentation
• Principal Investigator: Naasson Pereira de Alcantara Jr.
• Grantee: Naasson Pereira de Alcantara Jr.
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia (FE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Alceu Ferreira Alves ; Antonio Carlos Dias Angelo ; Luiz Gonçalves Junior

Abstract

This research project aims to collect subsidies for the development of a technique of nondestructive testing based on eddy current testing, to verify corrosion processes on steel rods in reinforced concrete structures. The use of this kind of testing is justified by the fact that the steel is a ferromagnetic material (good conductor of magnetic flux) and good conductor of electric current (eddy currents are induced in the body of the rod, once it is subjected to the presence of time-varying electromagnetic fields). This behavior produces alterations on the magnetic flux distribution in the region between the material under analysis and the sensor device. It is expected that these alterations will vary according to the degree of corrosion of the steel rods, and a correlation between these phenomena can be stablished and used to verify the occurrence of corrosion, and even quantifying its degree. The research development will consist of the production of dozens of specimens, with different levels of corrosion. A technique for the acceleration of the process of corrosion will be developed with this goal. From theoretical studies and computer simulations, several configurations for the indutor/sensor devices will be proposed. Then the electromagnetic and electronic devices will be built. Finally, from measurements performed with high precision measurement instruments, and through the use of specially developed mathematical models for this analysis, the practical limits of this proposal will be investigated. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DE ALCANTARA, JR., NAASSON P.; DA SILVA, FELIPE M.; GUIMARAES, MATEUS T.; PEREIRA, MATHEUS D.. Corrosion Assessment of Steel Bars Used in Reinforced Concrete Structures by Means of Eddy Current Testing. SENSORS, v. 16, n. 1, JAN 2016. (14/09609-0, 14/09624-0, 14/08797-8, 14/09622-7)