A study on thermal self-monitoring of carbon fiber reinforced concrete

Abstract Carbon fiber reinforced concrete (CFRC) is an intrinsically smart material that can sense not only compressive or tensile stress, but also temperature. The thermal self-monitoring ability is associated with the Seebeck effect. An experimental study was made to examine the relationship between the temperature differential (ΔT) and thermoelectric force (TEF)—its sensitivity and repeatability, its response time and the influence of ambient temperature (Ta) on TEF. The results show that TEF is proportional to ΔT over a wide range of temperature, and the thermal self-monitoring CFRC possesses high sensitivity and good repeatability. The Ta has no influence on TEF. Although the response time of CFRC is not fast enough because of its low heat conductivity, it can be used as a thermal sensor embedded in massive concrete structures, such as water dams and bridges, where the temperature changes slowly.