ABSTRACT
Real-time reporting of environmental conditions dates back to the invention of the telegraph in the 1830s. With the advancement of technologies, many real-time measurements are made using sensors. The first such sensor that was developed was the pH meter, a device that measures the quality of hydrogen ions in the solution being tested. It was first produced in 1934. When cement is mixed with water, initially it is a slurry and a pH meter can be used to measure the pH changes for a few hours but when cement solidifies, a pH meter cannot be used.
In the past, most monitoring was based on photo images for medical patients to land survey, but it has limited application due to accessibility under the foundations supporting buildings and bridges, and also oil and gas wells where cement plays a critical role.
In order to real-time monitor the changes in cement, it is important to identify the parameters that can be monitored in real time from the time of mixing to the entire service life of the cement and cementitious composites including concrete, not only in the laboratory but also in the field. A new method has been developed to characterise materials based on electrical properties. Also, several tests have been performed on cement with and without additives to identify important electrical properties to characterise the materials. Also in this study, using the new Vipulanandan corrosion/contact index, the corrosion potential for metal placed in cement and concrete or in contact with cement and concrete has been quantified.
