A Numerical Model for Electrical Properties of Self-Sensing Concrete with Carbon Fibers
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 35, Issue 9
Abstract
Smart concrete is capable of self-assessing its state of stress and strain. It is produced by tailoring the electrical conductivity of concrete with the addition of conductive materials such as carbon fiber. This paper aims at determining the electrical conductivity of smart concrete materials with randomly dispersed carbon fibers. It unravels the conduction mechanism and establishes a theoretical basis of the percolation threshold for conduction. A numerical model for concrete with carbon fiber is developed. The electrical conduction through the concrete is calculated by solving the governing equations based on Kirchhoff’s reformulation of Ohm’s Law. More than ten thousand cases with varying fiber topologies, fiber fraction ratios and aspect ratios have been generated to account for the randomness of distribution and their electrical properties are evaluated. By analyzing those results, the mechanism behind the percolation threshold is explained. Finally, an algebraic relationship is posited to determine the percolation threshold has been evaluated. The relationship has been validated with experimental results. The results are extremely valuable for the design of self-sensing smart concrete.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This project has received partial financial assistance from Australian Research Council Linkage Project LP180100132. The scholarship for the first author was funded by Curtin University, Australia.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 35 • Issue 9 • September 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 1, 2022
Accepted: Feb 22, 2023
Published online: Jun 28, 2023
Published in print: Sep 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Nov 28, 2023
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