Application of Post-Embedded Piezoceramic Sensors for Force Detection on RC Columns under Seismic Loading

To quantify damage to reinforced concrete (RC) column members after an earthquake, an engineer needs to know the maximum applied force that was generated by the earthquake. Therefore, in this work, piezoceramic transducers were used to detect the applied force on an RC column member under dynamic loading. To investigate the use of post-embedded piezoceramic sensors in detecting the force that is applied to RC columns, eight full-size RC column specimens with various failure modes were tested under specific earthquake loadings. Post-embedded piezoceramic sensors were installed at a range of depths (70–80 mm) beneath the surface of a column specimen to examine the relationship between the signals that were obtained from them and the force applied by the dynamic actuator. The signals that were generated by the post-embedded piezoceramic sensors, which correlate with the applied force, are presented. These results indicate that the post-embedded piezoceramic sensors have great potential as tools for measuring the maximum applied force on an RC column in an earthquake. In other words, signals that are obtained from post-embedded piezoceramic sensors on an RC column in an earthquake can be used to determine the applied force and corresponding damage or residual seismic capacity.