High resolution COD image analysis for health monitoring of reinforced concrete structures through inverse analysis

Direct and inverse problems of a fracture mechanics based RC beam model are solved. Solution of the direct problem that maps crack bridging stresses into crack opening displacements (COD) is straightforward, but the inverse problem is ill-posed, and better solved by the theory of inverse problems. This paper exploits the Tikhonov regularization method to solve the inverse problem, and estimates the force and location of rebar in buried concrete from CODs. Bending tests are carried out on model RC beams in the laboratory to demonstrate the applicability of the method. During the tests, a microscopic camera snaps high resolution digital pictures of cracked concrete surface. The images are analyzed by a software to measure surface CODs that are input into the inverse problem. The practical CODs inevitably include noise due to experimental error, which makes the inverse problem ill-posed, and necessitates regularization. In the current inverse analysis by the Tikhonov regularization method, bridging stress profiles, i.e. variation of the crack bridging stress along the crack length, has been figured out. Results are compared with those from other theoretical methods of analysis as well as with the readings from strain gauges. The method is a suitable non-destructive means for existing structures in cases where the section information is inadequate, or damages/repairs have altered the designed cross-section.