0000000000008241
AUTHOR
Piervincenzo Rizzo
On the use of the EMI for the health monitoring of bonded elements
The low weight, robustness and fatigue resistance of adhesive joints make them suitable for structural joints. A fully developed nondestructive evaluation technique however is needed to monitor and assess the quality of bonded joints. In the present paper the application of the electromechanical impedance (EMI) technique is proposed. In the EMI method a piezoelectric transducer (PZT) is attached to the structure of interest. The high sensitivity and low power consumption make the EMI method feasible for real time structural health monitoring. In this study we investigated the sensitivity of the electromechanical response of a PZT to the curing and the quality of the adhesive used for bonded…
On the Use of L-shaped Granular Chains for the Assessment of Thermal Stress in Slender Structures
Slender beams subjected to compressive load are common in civil engineering. The rapid in-situ measurement of this stress may help preventing structural anomalies. In this article, we describe the coupling mechanism between highly nonlinear solitary waves (HNSWs) propagating along an L- shaped granular system and a beam in contact with the gran- ular medium. We evaluate the use of these waves to measure stress in thermally loaded structures and to estimate the neutral temperature, i.e. the temperature at which the stress is null. We investigate numerically and experimentally one and two L- shaped chains of spherical particles in contact with a prismatic beam subjected to heat. We find that …
On the use of the electromechanical impedance technique for the assessment of dental implant stability: Modeling and experimentation
We propose the electromechanical impedance technique to monitor the stability of dental implants. The technique consists of bonding one wafer-type piezoelectric transducers to the implant system. When subjected to an electric field, the transducer induces structural excitations which, in turn, affect the transducer’s electrical admittance. The hypothesis is that the health of the bone surrounding the implant affects the sensor’s admittance. A three-dimensional finite element model of a transducer bonded to the abutment of a dental implant placed in a host bone site was created to simulate the progress of the tissue healing that occurs after surgery. The healing was modeled by changing the …
Electromechanical Impedance Method to Assess the Stability of Dental Implants
In this paper we illustrate the application of the electromechanical impedance (EMI) technique, popular in structural health monitoring, to assess the stability of dental implants. The technique consists of bonding a piezoelectric transducer to the element to be monitored. When subjected to an electric field, the transducer induces low to high frequency structural excitations which, in turn, affect the transducer's electrical admittance. As the structural vibrations depend on the mechanical impedance of the host structure (in this case the implant secured to the jaw), the measurement of the PZT's admittance can infer the progress of the osseointegration process. In the study presented in th…
Empirical mode decomposition and neural network for the classification of electroretinographic data
The processing of biosignals is increasingly being utilized in ambulatory situations in order to extract significant signals' features that can help in clinical diagnosis. However, this task is hampered by the fact that biomedical signals exhibit a complex behaviour characterized by strong non-linear and non-stationary properties that cannot always be perceived by simple visual examination. New processing methods need be considered. In this context, we propose to apply a signal processing method, based on empirical mode decomposition and artificial neural networks, to analyse electroretinograms, i.e. the retinal response to a light flash, with the aim to detect and classify retinal diseases…
Ultrasonic Guided Waves-Based Monitoring of Rail Head: Laboratory and Field Tests
Recent train accidents have reaffirmed the need for developing a rail defect detection system more effective than that currently used. One of the most promising techniques in rail inspection is the use of ultrasonic guided waves and noncontact probes. A rail inspection prototype based on these concepts and devoted to the automatic damage detection of defects in rail head is the focus of this paper. The prototype includes an algorithm based on wavelet transform and outlier analysis. The discrete wavelet transform is utilized to denoise ultrasonic signals and to generate a set of relevant damage sensitive data. These data are combined into a damage index vector fed to an unsupervised learning…
On the repeatability of the EMI for the monitoring of bonded joints
We study the feasibility and the repeatability of the electromechanical impedance (EMI) method for the health monitoring of lightweight bonded joints. The EMI technique exploits the coupling between the displacement field and the potential field of a piezoelectric material, by attaching or embedding a piezoelectric transducer to the structure to be monitored. The sensor is excited by an external voltage and the electrical admittance which is the ratio between the electric current and the applied voltage is measured as it depends on the mechanical coupling between the transducer and the host structure. Owing to this interaction, the admittance may represent a signature for the health of the …
Damage and plasticity at the interfaces in composite materials and structures
Abstract The structural behavior at the interface between two surfaces of ductile, brittle or quasi-brittle materials is studied by a new analytical elastoplastic damaging model. The model is developed in the framework of a thermodynamically consistent theory. The Helmholtz free energy is written to predict the materials’ hardening or softening. An isotropic damage is considered and the possible effects of dilatancy are taken into account including non-associative flow rules. The interface laws are presented both in a rate and a discrete incremental form. The analytical formulation is then implemented into a finite element code and two structural members are studied to validate the model. T…
An unsupervised Learning Algorithm for Fatigue Crack Detection in Waveguides
Ultrasonic guided waves (UGWs) are a useful tool in structural health monitoring (SHM) applications that can benefit from built-in transduction, moderately large inspection ranges, and high sensitivity to small flaws. This paper describes an SHM method based on UGWs and outlier analysis devoted to the detection and quantification of fatigue cracks in structural waveguides. The method combines the advantages of UGWs with the outcomes of the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) to extract defect-sensitive features aimed at performing a multivariate diagnosis of damage. In particular, the DWT is exploited to generate a set of relevant wavelet coefficients to construct a uni-dimensional or multi-di…
Ultrasonic inspection for the detection of debonding in CFRP-reinforced concrete
Fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) composites are extensively used to retrofit civil structures. However, the quality and the characteristics of the bond between the FRP and the structure are critical to ensure the efficacy of the retrofit. For this reason, effective non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods are often necessary to assess the bonding conditions. This article presents an ultrasonic technique for detecting defects at the FRP-substrate interface. The technique uses the Akaike Information Criterion, to detect automatically the onset of the ultrasonic signals, and the novel Equivalent Time Lenght (ETL) parameter, to quantify the energy of the propagating ultrasonic signals along the i…
On the use of EMI for the assessment of dental implant stability
The achievement and the maintenance of dental implant stability are prerequisites for the long-term success of the osseointegration process. Since implant stability occurs at different stages, it is clinically required to monitor an implant over time, i.e. between the surgery and the placement of the artificial tooth. In this framework, non-invasive tests able to assess the degree of osseointegration are necessary. In this paper, the electromechanical impedance (EMI) method is proposed to monitor the stability of dental implants. A 3D finite element model of a piezoceramic transducer (PZT) bonded to a dental implant placed into the bone was created, considering the presence of a bone- impla…
Modeling the electromechanical impedance technique for the assessment of dental implant stability
We simulated the electromechanical impedance (EMI) technique to assess the stability of dental implants. The technique consists of bonding a piezoelectric transducer to the element to be monitored. When subjected to an electric field, the transducer induces structural excitations which, in turn, affect the transducer's electrical admittance. As the structural vibrations depend on the mechanical impedance of the element, the measurement of the transducer's admittance can be exploited to assess the element's health. In the study presented in this paper, we created a 3D finite element model to mimic a transducer bonded to the abutment of a dental implant placed in a host bone site. We simulate…
Application of principal component analysis and wavelet transform to fatigue crack detection in waveguides
Ultrasonic Guided Waves (UGWs) are a useful tool in structural health monitoring (SHM) applications that can benefit from built-in transduction, moderately large inspection ranges and high sensitivity to small flaws. This paper describes a SHM method based on UGWs, discrete wavelet transform (DWT), and principal component analysis (PCA) able to detect and quantify the onset and propagation of fatigue cracks in structural waveguides. The method combines the advantages of guided wave signals processed through the DWT with the outcomes of selecting defect-sensitive features to perform a multivariate diagnosis of damage. This diagnosis is based on the PCA. The framework presented in this paper …
Advanced Ultrasonic Structural Monitoring of Waveguides
Ultrasonic Guided Waves (UGWs) are a useful tool in those structural health monitoring applications that can benefit from built-in transduction, moderately large inspection ranges and high sensitivity to small flaws. This paper describes two methods, based on linear and nonlinear acoustics for structural damage detection based on UGWs. The linear method combine the advantages of UGW inspection with the outcomes of the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) that is used for extracting defect-sensitive features that can be combined to perform a multivariate diagnosis of damage. In particular, the DWT is exploited to generate a set of relevant wavelet coefficients to construct a uni-dimensional or m…
Elastoplastic Damaging Model for Adhesive Anchor Systems. I: Theoretical Formulation and Numerical Implementation
In this and in the companion paper, the mechanical response of adhesive anchor systems is theoretically and numerically predicted and experimentally observed. The theoretical prediction is on the basis of an elastoplastic damaging model formulated to predict the structural response associated with the development of a fracture in adhesive anchor systems. This part describes the analytical model developed in the framework of a thermodynamically consistent theory, which assumes adhesion where the structure is sound, and friction in correspondence with the fracture. Isotropic damage is considered. The model can predict the structural behavior at the interface between two surfaces of ductile, b…
Granular chains for the assessment of thermal stress in slender structures
Slender beams subjected to compressive stress are common in civil and mechanical engineering. The rapid in-situ measurement of this stress may prevent structural anomalies. In this paper, we describe the coupling mechanism between highly nonlinear solitary waves (HNSWs) propagating along an L-shaped granular system and a beam in contact with the granular medium. We evaluate the use of HNSWs as a tool to measure stress in thermally loaded structures and to estimate the neutral temperature, i.e. the temperature at which this stress is null. We investigated numerically and experimentally one and two L-shaped chains of spherical particles in contact with a prismatic beam subjected to heat. We f…
Modelling the Electromechanical Impedance Method for the Prediction of the Biomechanical Behavior of Dental Implant Stability
Abstract We propose the electromechanical impedance (EMI) technique to assess the stability of dental implants. The technique consists of bonding a piezoelectric transducer to the element to be monitored. Conventionally, electromechanical admittance is used to diagnose structural damage. In this study, we created a 3D finite element model to mimic a transducer bonded to the abutment of a dental implant placed in a host bone site. We simulated the healing after surgery by changing the Young's modulus of the bone-implant interface. The results show that as the Young's modulus of the interface increases, the electromechanical characteristic of the transducer changes.
Elastoplastic Damaging Model for Adhesive Anchor Systems. II: Numerical and Experimental Validation
This paper presents the numerical and experimental validation of the analytical elastoplastic damaging model proposed in the companion paper (Part I). The validation was carried out by describing the pullout failure of epoxy adhesive anchors. Pullout tests were simulated numerically and performed experimentally. Several specimens made of a rebar embedded in a hardened concrete cylinder by means of polyester resin were tested. Conventional strain gauges and acoustic emission (AE) sensors were used to evaluate the structural response of the system and to monitor the onset and progression of structural damage, respectively. The parametric analysis and the moment tensor analysis of the AE data …
Acoustic Emission Monitoring of Chemically Bonded Anchors
This paper presents a study on the use of acoustic emission (AE) to assess the structural soundness of concrete reinforced with chemically bonded anchors. The results of an experimental work based on six pullout tests monitored using an AE instrumentation suite are reported below. In every test one rebar was embedded in the hardened concrete by means of polyester resin. The AE was adopted to moni- tor the onset and progression of any structural damage. The parametric analysis, the intensity analysis and the moment tensor analysis of AE data were used to discriminate among different sources of damage. The technique shows promise for field application and may contribute to fully understand th…
Microphones’ Directivity for the Localization of Sound Sources
In a recent paper [P. Rizzo, G. Bordoni, A. Marzani, and J. Vipperman, "Localization of Sound Sources by Means of Unidirectional Microphones, Meas. Sci. Tech., 20, 055202 (12pp), 2009] the proof-of-concept of an approach for the localization of acoustic sources was presented. The method relies on the use of unidirectional microphones and amplitude-based signals' features to extract information about the direction of the incoming sound. By intersecting the directions identified by a pair of microphones, the position of the emitting source can be identified. In this paper we expand the work presented previously by assessing the effectiveness of the approach for the localization of an acoustic…
Onthe repeatability of electromechanical impedance for monitoring of bonded joints
The repeatability and sensitivity of the electromechanical impedance (EMI) method when employed for the structural health monitoring of bonded joints were investigated. A simple joint was assembled by bonding an aluminum strip to a square aluminum plate. Two rounds of experiments were performed. The first set aimed at verifying the repeatability of the method. The joint was monitored by using one piezoelectric sensor. The PZT was glued to the plate and never removed, whereas a poorly bonded joint was assembled and disassembled three times. For each case, the electromechanical signature was measured during the curing of the adhesive. After the three tests, the same joint was built with a dif…
An integrated structural health monitoring system based on electromechanical impedance and guided ultrasonic waves
We propose a structural health monitoring (SHM) paradigm based on the simultaneous use of ultrasounds and electromechanical impedance (EMI) to monitor waveguides. Methods based on the propagation of guided ultrasonic waves (GUWs) are increasingly used in all those SHM applications that benefit from built-in transduction, moderately large inspection ranges, and high sensitivity to small flaws. Meantime, impedance-based SHM promises to adequately assess locally the structural integrity of simple waveguides and complex structures such as bolted connections. As both methods utilize piezoelectric transducers bonded or embedded to the structure of interest, this paper describes a unified SHM para…
On the coupling dynamics between thermally stressed beams and granular chains
The in-situ measurement of thermal stress in slender beams, or long continuous welded rails, may prevent structural anomalies. With this aim, we investigated the coupling dynamics between a beam and the highly nonlinear solitary waves propagating along a straight granular chain in contact with the beam. We hypothesized that these waves can be used to measure the stress of thermally loaded structures, or to infer the neutral temperature, i.e., the temperature at which this stress is null. We studied numerically and experimentally the mechanical interaction of one and two straight chains of spherical particles in contact with a prismatic beam that is subjected to heat. The results show that c…
Outlier analysis and principal component analysis to detect fatigue cracks in waveguides
Ultrasonic Guided Waves (UGWs) are a useful tool in structural health monitoring (SHM) applications that can benefit from built-in transduction, moderately large inspection ranges and high sensitivity to small flaws. This paper describes a SHM method based on UGWs, discrete wavelet transform (DWT), outlier analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) able to detect and quantify the onset and propagation of fatigue cracks in structural waveguides. The method combines the advantages of guided wave signals processed through the DWT with the outcomes of selecting defectsensitive features to perform a multivariate diagnosis of damage. The framework presented in this paper is applied to the de…