Instrumentation and early-age monitoring of concrete slabs

This paper reports the instrumentation and monitoring techniques developed to improve understanding of the early-life behaviour of concrete industrial ground-floor slabs. Concrete strains, temperatures and joint movements were measured using vibrating-wire embedment strain gauges and thermistors, while ambient conditions were monitored to assess their effects. A reliable, accurate and easy-to-implement methodology, developed by instrumenting four types of floor slab (mesh-reinforced long strip, mesh-reinforced jointed large area pour, steel fibre-reinforced jointed large area pour and steel fibre-reinforced jointless large area pour) is described in detail, along with the further developments and modifications to the instrumentation. The methodology developed would be equally applicable to the early-life monitoring of other concrete structural elements. Some sample results of data gathered using the instrumentation methodology developed are included.