Monitoring Concrete Curing and Strength Using Microwave Waveguide Sensor and ANN

Conventional methods use to assess concrete material especially during curing time are expensive, difficult, time consuming and noninvasive in nature. The nondestructive method offers advantages to overcome the disadvantages of conventional methods. The microwave nondestructive method proves to be superior in evaluating several materials including concrete. This paper presents the work of developing a microwave waveguide sensor to evaluate the evolution of concrete material during curing time and assess concrete properties such as water-cement ratio and compressive strength. Various factors influencing concrete strength, including cement type, cement content, and aggregate characteristics, were taken into account. The proposed reflection coefficient in microwave frequency using open-ended waveguide sensor show the potential in monitoring concrete hydration during curing age and developing its strength. The waveguide sensor also could determine the effect of cement type, cement content and aggregate type on microwave reflection coefficients. The results indicate the usefulness of the waveguide sensor to assess concrete in situ and estimate concrete water cement ratio and compressive strength. Additional research is required to explore other factors that influence concrete strength and to test various types of concrete before deploying this sensor for real-world testing in construction projects. Comparing the feedforward ANN model to the cascade-forward model, the former demonstrates a superior level of concrete strength predictability. Furthermore, when it comes to tracking the curing of concrete and estimating compressive strength using recorded microwave reflection, ANN models outperform empirical statistical models.