Monitoring of a Reinforced Concrete Wharf Using Structural Health Monitoring System and Material Testing

This paper presents the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system developed for a port wharf of a freight terminal, in Saint-Nazaire, France. This concrete structure has been equipped with a multi-sensor system for the monitoring of concrete ageing. The measurement chain is designed to detect the penetration of chloride ions in order to quantify the risk of reinforcement bars corrosion. Modifications of the mechanical behavior of the structural elements of the wharf are also monitored. At first, the sensors embedded within the structure and the acquisition devices are described. The data from the monitoring performed during the first months of the structure service life are then presented. The concrete monitoring at early age providing data like temperature history, strain and resistivity is useful both for the wharf owner and the construction company since it indicates where concrete shrinkage is likely to cause cracking and gives an indicator of material hardening. These data were compared to the results of material tests carried out on concrete. The study shows that a measurement chain dedicated to the SHM could be a useful tool for validating the quality of the construction of a reinforced concrete structure before being used in the framework of long-term monitoring