A review on non-destructive evaluation of construction materials and structures using magnetic sensors

The growing demand towards life cycle sustainability has created a tremendous interest in non-destructive evaluation (NDE) to minimize manufacturing defects and waste, and to improve maintenance and extend service life. Applications of Magnetic Sensors (MSs) in NDE of civil Construction Materials to detect damage and deficiencies have become of great interest in recent years. This is due to their low cost, non-contact data collection, and high sensitivity under the influence of external stimuli such as strain, temperature and humidity. There have been several advancements in MSs over the years for strain evaluation, corrosion monitoring, etc. based on the magnetic property changes. However, these MSs are at their nascent stages of development, and thus, there are several challenges that exist. This paper summarizes the recent advancements in MSs and their applications in civil engineering. Principle functions of different types of MSs are discussed, and their comparative characteristics are presented. The research challenges are highlighted and the main applications and advantages of different MSs are critically reviewed.