Impedance-based structural health monitoring (SHM) technique has been developed using piezo-ceramic (PZT)
transducers either by surface bonding or embedding inside the structure to detect damage at the earliest possible
stage using signatures. However, this technique requires PZT to be permanently attached to the structures.
Furthermore permanent attachment will influence the appearance of the host structure and during replacement
of faulty transducer, the use of de bonding tools may spoils the surface and beneath. Hence the present study is
aimed to fabricate a portable structure, where PZTs are bonded on it and later the portable structure is attached
to the host structure. This portable structure is easy to install during monitoring period and uninstall after
recording the monitoring signatures of the host structure. This method protects the surface of the host structure
to be monitored and will have same efficiency as that of permanently attached PZTs.
This paper presents an easy method of embedding piezoceramic transducer (PZT) and its implementation in
electromechanical (EM) impedance based health monitoring of concrete structures. The basic principle
used in this monitoring is to record EM admittance signatures acquired from the actuations of PZT
transducer in the presence of electric field. Any deviations in these signatures during the monitoring period
indicate disturbance/ damage in the structure. The PZT can be either surface bonded or embedded, however
the important features of embedding PZT inside the host structure are durability and protection from
surface finish, vandalism and environment attacks. The embedment of PZT in the structure is not as simple
as surface bonding because there are several issues such as bonding between PZT and host structure.
Moreover, it should withstand the curing pressures and temperatures of the host material. This paper is also
expected to be useful for monitoring embeddable composite structures.
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