Affiliations: State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Ling Zhang, State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, Shaanxi, China. Tel.: +86 29 8266 9068; E-mail:zhangl@mail.xjtu.edu.cn
Abstract: Structural health monitoring plays a crucial role in
maintaining the long lifespan of large-scale infrastructure. In this paper,
a new type of sensing technique for localized structural damage is proposed.
This technology can be adopted to measure cracks by using a transparent
capacitive sensor. The capacitive sensor is fabricated using a dielectric
elastomer with attached stretchable transparent electrodes. The electrodes
are ionic conductors. The materials of the sensor are transparent and
inexpensive, which make the sensory sheets a feasible application for large
surfaces without impeding optical signals. The performance transparency of
the sensor is beneficial to visually detect the expansion of cracks through
other non-destructive testing technologies. An experiment was conducted to
determine the robustness of the capacitive sensor. Tests on perspex sheet
and over-reinforced concrete beam demonstrated the ability of the sensor to
detect strains and cracks over the surface that it covered.
Keywords: Capacitive sensor, structure health monitoring, ionic skin
