Optimization Design of a Corrosion Monitoring Sensor by FEM for RC Structures

Structural health monitoring techniques provide the scientific basis for damage early-warning, safety assessment and maintenance design of reinforcing concrete structures. Solid-state and current confining corrosion sensor, the key hardware component in corrosion monitoring system based on electrochemical theory for reinforcing concrete structures, is investigated here. The finite-element method is applied to simulate the distribution of the electric field in concrete and optimize the geometric configuration of the sensor. The simulation results indicate that the electric field can be confined accurately in a fixed region by the optimized corrosion sensor.