Development of an Embedded Wireless Corrosion Sensor for Monitoring Corrosion in Reinforced Concrete Members

The objective of this thesis is to discuss the development and testing of two wireless sensors that are designed to detect corrosion in reinforced concrete structures. These sensors are intended to be placed inside the concrete structure adjacent to the steel reinforcement before concrete is placed. Although not connected electrically to the embedded reinforcement, the sensor is surrounded by concrete and exposed to the same environmental conditions as the reinforcement. The sensors, therefore, experience the same levels of oxygen, water, and chloride ions as the adjacent layer of reinforcement within the structural member. Two types of sensors have been developed and have been tested in representative applications. The sensors are inexpensive to fabricate, sufficiently durable to survive the construction process and can be interrogated through concrete.