A real-time health monitoring system for concrete structures

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of real-time health monitoring system of concrete structure belongs to concrete structure monitoring technical field, including several embedded monitoring devices and remote user monitoring management end, several embedded monitoring devices networking between each other, information transmission, one embedded monitoring device is wirelessly connected with remote user monitoring management end, and each embedded monitoring device is embedded in concrete structure and set. By setting side edge inclined ultrasonic sensor, the comprehensive detection of concrete structure can be better, the detection range is wider, through the inclined setting, the waveform detection effect of inclined emission is better, prestress detection and vibration detection are provided simultaneously, whether the concrete structure is vibrated, whether prestress changes are detected in real time, and the health of concrete is detected in real time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of concrete structure monitoring technology, and in particular to a real-time health monitoring system for concrete structures. Background Technology

[0002] Structural health monitoring is a critical area involving ensuring the safety, reliability, and long-term stability of buildings. Traditional structural health monitoring methods typically rely on pre-embedded sensors within the structure or periodic manual inspections. These methods have limitations, such as the possibility that pre-embedded sensors may not be present in existing structures, and that periodic manual inspections are not timely and are time-consuming and labor-intensive.

[0003] Concrete is the most widely used and consumed building material, and reinforced concrete structures are one of the most common building structures today. However, buildings are designed with a limited service life. As buildings age, and with the erosion and damage caused by environmental pollution, the durability of concrete is increasingly attracting attention. Durability issues significantly shorten the service life of concrete structures, reduce their service quality, increase safety hazards, and consequently lead to substantial financial and material costs and increased time costs for repair and reinforcement, resulting in significant economic losses. Therefore, the importance of structural health testing is increasingly evident in ensuring the safety, integrity, serviceability, and durability of structures.

[0004] In recent years, the development of computer technology, communication technology, and various sensor technologies has enabled maintenance and management models to evolve from relying on visual inspection and some instrumental testing to comprehensively utilizing various modern technological means for detection. This transformation has made comprehensive monitoring and computer-based management and assessment possible. Currently, health monitoring of large-scale civil engineering structures has received widespread attention and importance both domestically and internationally.

[0005] Current methods for monitoring the health of concrete structures primarily involve embedding sensors (such as resistance strain gauges and fiber optic grating sensors) inside the structure or conducting periodic manual inspections. Embedded sensor methods are difficult to apply to existing engineering structures, while periodic manual inspections lack real-time accuracy, are labor-intensive, and rely heavily on the experience and judgment of technicians, making it difficult to guarantee the timeliness and accuracy of the results.

[0006] Many existing testing devices or instruments are directly installed on the surface of concrete structures, making them susceptible to external environmental influences such as rain, wind, or animal contact. Furthermore, they can only be installed manually at fixed times, failing to provide long-term, scheduled, or real-time monitoring. For example, Chinese patents CN111595941A disclose an ultrasonic concrete deterioration detector based on wireless communication and big data, and CN108824444A disclose a wireless ultrasonic array sensor and monitoring method for deep foundation pit concrete supports. These technologies all suffer from the aforementioned drawbacks, being easily affected by the environment. Therefore, there is a need to design a real-time health monitoring system for concrete structures. Utility Model Content

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a real-time health monitoring system for concrete structures, which solves the technical problems that existing concrete structures cannot be monitored in real time and that externally installed monitoring instruments are easily affected by the environment and animals.

[0008] By setting an embedded structure, the monitoring device becomes more stable, unaffected by environmental factors, and can achieve real-time detection without manual operation. It has better stability and can also detect changes in the prestress of concrete structures in real time.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows:

[0010] A real-time health monitoring system for concrete structures includes several embedded monitoring devices and a remote user monitoring and management terminal. The embedded monitoring devices are networked with each other to transmit information. One of the embedded monitoring devices is wirelessly connected to the remote user monitoring and management terminal. Each embedded monitoring device is embedded in the concrete structure.

[0011] The embedded monitoring device includes a sealed housing and an external electrical housing. The sealed housing and the external electrical housing are sealed together. The sealed housing is embedded inside the concrete structure, and the external electrical housing is attached to the concrete structure.

[0012] Furthermore, several side-tilt ultrasonic sensors, grating stress sensors, vibration sensors, and front-end ultrasonic sensors are provided on the outside of the sealed housing. The front-end ultrasonic sensors are located at the front end of the sealed housing and are horizontally positioned. The grating stress sensors and vibration sensors are both located on the outside of the sealed housing and are fitted to the concrete structure. Several side-tilt ultrasonic sensors are located on the outside of the sealed housing.

[0013] Furthermore, four lateral tilt ultrasonic sensors are provided, and the four lateral tilt ultrasonic sensors are arranged at equal arc intervals on the outside of the sealed housing. The lateral tilt ultrasonic sensors are tilted forward and are located at the connection between the sealed housing and the external electrical housing.

[0014] Furthermore, the tilt angle of the side-tilted ultrasonic sensor is 60-85 degrees.

[0015] Furthermore, a solar panel and an antenna are installed on the outside of the external electrical housing, and a controller unit, a solar rechargeable battery device, and a data storage module are installed inside the external electrical housing. The solar rechargeable battery device is connected to the controller unit for power supply, and the data storage module is connected to the controller unit.

[0016] Furthermore, the embedded monitoring device can be installed either by pre-embedded installation or surface installation. In the case of pre-embedded installation, the device is embedded in the surface of the concrete structure during the building construction phase and placed in areas prone to stress concentration and damage. In the case of surface installation, the device is installed in the location of the structure by drilling holes in the surface of the completed concrete structure.

[0017] Furthermore, the data storage module includes a storage management circuit and a data storage chip, with the data storage chip connected to the controller module via the storage management circuit.

[0018] This utility model, by adopting the above-mentioned technical solution, has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] (1) This utility model enables real-time data transmission through wireless transmission technology, significantly improving the real-time nature of detection results and avoiding the lag of periodic manual inspections. It also employs solar power technology and is equipped with a rechargeable battery pack, ensuring continuous and stable system operation, reducing reliance on external power sources, and further lowering maintenance costs. Secondly, its flexible design allows for easy installation on concrete structures, unrestricted by construction phases, and can be deployed on both under-construction and completed building structures. Furthermore, the device can form a network through a single transmitter and multiple receivers, and together with the wireless network, create a complete monitoring system, achieving comprehensive coverage of key nodes in the building structure.

[0020] (2) By setting up a side-tilted ultrasonic sensor, the concrete structure can be detected more comprehensively and the detection range is wider. The waveform detection effect of the tilted emission is better by setting the tilt. At the same time, prestress detection and vibration detection are set up to detect whether the concrete structure is vibrated and whether the prestress has changed in real time, and to detect the health of the concrete in real time. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the health monitoring system of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the embedded monitoring device of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of the circuit module of the embedded monitoring device of this utility model.

[0024] In the attached diagram, 1-sealed housing, 2-external electrical housing, 3-antenna, 4-solar panel, 5-side tilt ultrasonic sensor, 6-grating stress sensor, 7-vibration sensor, and 8-front ultrasonic sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the following detailed description is provided with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments. However, it should be noted that many details listed in the specification are merely to provide the reader with a thorough understanding of one or more aspects of this utility model, and these aspects can be achieved even without these specific details.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, a real-time health monitoring system for concrete structures includes several embedded monitoring devices and a remote user monitoring and management terminal. The embedded monitoring devices are networked together for information transmission. One of the embedded monitoring devices is wirelessly connected to the remote user monitoring and management terminal. Each embedded monitoring device is embedded within the concrete structure. The network of embedded monitoring devices uses LoRa networking, with each device equipped with a LoRa module for networking. The remote user monitoring and management terminal is a PC, which uses existing data acquisition system software to display the collected data; alternatively, an existing cloud server can be used.

[0027] like Figure 2 As shown, the embedded monitoring device includes a sealed housing 1 and an external electrical housing 2. The sealed housing 1 and the external electrical housing 2 are sealed together. The sealed housing 1 is embedded inside the concrete structure, and the external electrical housing 2 is attached to the concrete structure.

[0028] In this embodiment of the invention, a plurality of side-tilting ultrasonic sensors 5, grating stress sensors 6, vibration sensors 7, and front-end ultrasonic sensors 8 are disposed on the outer side of the sealed housing 1. The front-end ultrasonic sensors 8 are disposed at the front end of the sealed housing 1 and are horizontally positioned. The grating stress sensors 6 and vibration sensors 7 are both disposed on the outer side of the sealed housing 1 and are fitted to the concrete structure. The plurality of side-tilting ultrasonic sensors 5 are disposed on the outer side of the sealed housing 1. Four side-tilting ultrasonic sensors 5 are disposed at equal arc intervals on the outer side of the sealed housing 1, tilted forward, and located at the connection point between the sealed housing 1 and the external electrical housing 2. The tilt angle of the side-tilting ultrasonic sensors 5 is 60-85 degrees. The plurality of side-tilting ultrasonic sensors 5, grating stress sensors 6, vibration sensors 7, and front-end ultrasonic sensors 8 are connected to the controller unit as follows: Figure 2 As shown.

[0029] In this embodiment of the utility model, such as Figure 2 As shown, a solar panel 4 and an antenna 3 are installed on the outside of the external electrical housing 2. A controller unit, a solar rechargeable battery device, and a data storage module are installed inside the external electrical housing 2. The solar rechargeable battery device is connected to the controller unit for power supply, and the data storage module is connected to the controller unit.

[0030] The controller unit includes the controller module and other peripheral circuits. The controller module can directly use the STC89C52 microcontroller minimum system, or the STM32F103C8T6 minimum system, etc. Other circuits include a rechargeable battery pack, power management circuit, waveform generation circuit, transmit isolation protection circuit, communication management circuit, and GPRS communication circuit. These circuits correspond to the respective peripherals and can be directly connected to the controller via purchased modules and DuPont wires, or soldered. The GPRS communication antenna is connected to the communication management circuit via the GPRS communication circuit. The transmit isolation protection circuit is connected to the ultrasonic transmitter probe via the waveform generation circuit, and its input is connected to the controller module. The solar panel is connected to the power management circuit via the rechargeable battery pack, and the power management circuit is connected to the controller module.

[0031] The ultrasonic sensor, prestress sensor, and vibration sensor are connected to the isolation protection circuit via the sound wave acquisition circuit, and the output of the isolation protection circuit is connected to the controller module.

[0032] The embedded monitoring device can be installed either by pre-embedded installation or surface installation. When pre-embedded, the device is embedded in the surface of the concrete structure during the construction phase and placed in areas prone to stress concentration and damage. When surface installation, the device is installed in the location of the structure by drilling holes in the surface of the completed concrete structure.

[0033] The data storage module includes a storage management circuit and a data storage chip, which is connected to the controller module via the storage management circuit. The data storage module is primarily responsible for storing detection signals and data, and periodically transmitting them wirelessly to the cloud.

[0034] During the actual data acquisition, the vibration sensor module and the grating stress module acquire data in real time, while the front-end ultrasonic sensor module and the side ultrasonic sensor unit send ultrasonic waves periodically and then acquire data, rather than acquiring data in real time. This saves energy and extends the service life.

[0035] The end ultrasonic sensor module and the side ultrasonic sensor unit use piezoelectric materials for their end ultrasonic sensors. Due to their "positive piezoelectric effect" and "inverse piezoelectric effect", they can both emit and receive ultrasonic signals. Therefore, the waveform generation module and the signal acquisition module use the same ultrasonic probe.

[0036] Each device is networked, transmitting data to one of them. This one device can then use a GPRS communication antenna to send the data collected on-site to the user's cloud server, thus forming a complete monitoring network to achieve comprehensive coverage of key nodes in the building structure. Ultrasonic signals are emitted by a waveform generator module and propagate within the concrete structure. When the ultrasonic waves encounter anomalies within the concrete (such as cracks or voids), reflection, refraction, or scattering occurs. The affected waveforms are received by surrounding receivers. The received signals are transmitted wirelessly to a remote PC or cloud server for real-time monitoring. Existing analytics are used to analyze the received signals, assessing the structural health and detecting the presence of cracks, voids, or other defects. Simultaneously, the detection data can be compared with historical data.

[0037] Any matters not covered in this utility model are common knowledge.

[0038] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present utility model, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A real-time health monitoring system for concrete structures, characterized in that: It includes several embedded monitoring devices and a remote user monitoring and management terminal. The embedded monitoring devices are networked with each other to transmit information. One of the embedded monitoring devices is wirelessly connected to the remote user monitoring and management terminal. Each embedded monitoring device is embedded in the concrete structure. The embedded monitoring device includes a sealed housing (1) and an external electrical housing (2). The sealed housing (1) and the external electrical housing (2) are sealed together. The sealed housing (1) is embedded inside the concrete structure, and the external electrical housing (2) is attached to the concrete structure. Several side-tilting ultrasonic sensors (5), grating stress sensors (6), vibration sensors (7) and front ultrasonic sensors (8) are provided on the outside of the sealed housing (1). The front ultrasonic sensors (8) are located at the front end of the sealed housing (1) and are set horizontally. The grating stress sensors (6) and vibration sensors (7) are both located on the outside of the sealed housing (1) and are attached to the concrete structure. Several side-tilting ultrasonic sensors (5) are located on the outside of the sealed housing (1).

2. The real-time health monitoring system for concrete structures according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of side-tilting ultrasonic sensors (5) is 4. The 4 side-tilting ultrasonic sensors (5) are arranged at equal arc intervals on the outside of the sealed housing (1). The side-tilting ultrasonic sensors (5) are tilted forward and are located at the connection between the sealed housing (1) and the external electrical housing (2).

3. The real-time health monitoring system for concrete structures according to claim 2, characterized in that: The tilt angle of the side-tilted ultrasonic sensor (5) is 60-85 degrees.

4. The real-time health monitoring system for concrete structures according to claim 1, characterized in that: A solar panel (4) and an antenna (3) are provided on the outside of the external electrical housing (2). A controller unit, a solar rechargeable battery device and a data storage module are provided inside the external electrical housing (2). The solar rechargeable battery device is connected to the controller unit for power supply, and the data storage module is connected to the controller unit.

5. The real-time health monitoring system for concrete structures according to claim 1, characterized in that: The embedded monitoring device can be installed either by pre-embedded installation or surface installation. When pre-embedded, the device is embedded in the surface of the concrete structure during the construction phase and placed in areas prone to stress concentration and damage. When surface installation, the device is installed in the location of the structure by drilling holes in the surface of the completed concrete structure.

6. The real-time health monitoring system for concrete structures according to claim 4, characterized in that: The data storage module includes a storage management circuit and a data storage chip, which is connected to the controller module via the storage management circuit.

Images