An interdisciplinary effort to develop a wireless embedded sensor system to monitor and assess corrosion in the tendons of prestressed concrete girders

The nation´s civil transportation infrastructure of structural concrete bridges is aging and deteriorating - principally as a result of the corrosion of the steel reinforcement that gives these structures their tensile strength. The primary objective of our research is to develop a cost-effective wireless embedded sensor system that detects the onset of corrosion and directly relates the sensor data to the deterioration of the girder´s structural performance characteristics. Reaching this objective requires our multidisciplinary team to integrate the following three research thrusts: (1) non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of reinforcing tendons; (2) embedded wireless sensors; (3) diagnostic tool development that relates sensor data to changes in structural performance characteristics. In cooperation with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the research project will culminate with a field demonstration of the embedded sensor system installed in a prestressed girder.