Theoretical and experimental investigation of piezoresistivity of brass fiber reinforced concrete

Structural health monitoring is important for the safety of lives and asset management. In this study, numerical models were developed for the piezoresistive behavior of smart concrete based on finite element (FE) method. Finite element models were calibrated with experimental data collected from compression test. The compression test was performed on smart concrete cube specimens with 75 mm dimensions. Smart concrete was made of cement CEM II 42.5 R, silica fume, fine and coarse crushed limestone aggregates, brass fibers and plasticizer. During the compression test, electrical resistance change and compressive strain measurements were conducted simultaneously. Smart concrete had a strong linear relationship between strain and electrical resistance change due to its piezoresistive function. The piezoresistivity of the smart concrete was modeled by FE method. Twenty-noded solid brick elements were used to model the smart concrete specimens in the finite element platform of Ansys. The numerical results were determined for strain induced resistivity change. The electrical resistivity of simulated smart concrete decreased with applied strain, as found in experimental investigation. The numerical findings are in good agreement with the experimental results.