The construction industry is sometimes described as being slow. Often this refers to how long it takes to complete a project, especially when multiple industry specialists are involved. However, more and more the construction industry has been referred to as slow to adopt new technology.
This is especially true when testing the compressive strength of concrete. Currently, the most common practice is to use cylinder break tests. However, this process is not always accurate and reliable. Many factors, such as curing conditions, the size of the cylinders compared to the on-site slab, and improper handling and transportation of field-cured cylinders from a jobsite to a testing facility can skew the strength data which can result in a weak concrete element. Testing compressive strength with wireless maturity sensors can eliminate these problems.
What are wireless maturity sensors?
Using cylinder break tests to monitor the strength of concrete requires some patience. Not only does it take time to cast the cylinders and arrange for a lab to test their strength, it takes an additional three days before results are available. But, with wireless sensors, like Giatec’s SmartRock, updates are given in real-time on the early-age strength of the concrete based on the maturity method. Once secured on the formwork and embedded in the concrete, these sensors measure the temperature of the slab and correlate this data to the concrete’s strength based on the maturity equation, according to ASTM C1074. This data is easily and quickly updated in the SmartRock app on a mobile device so that contractors always know the temperature and strength of the in-situ element.
