REPORT BE96-3843/2001:76-1

SLUICE GATE - BREMBO RIVER - ITALY

Field test

Dr. Eng. Paolo Morabito1

1

ENEL S.p.A.

Published by
Department of Civil & Mining Engineering
Division of Structural Engineering

ISBN 91 - 89580 76 1

2001: 76 - 1

SE

A
IP

CS

Report No:
2001:76-1
SLUICE GATE - BREMBO RIVER - ITALY
Field test

Improved Production of
Advanced Concrete Structures

Author1
Address

Dr. Eng. Paolo Morabito

1

Task/Subtask no:

morabiti.paolo@enel.it

ENEL S.p.A.

T5/T5.1.4
Brite EuRam Contract No. BRPR-CT97-0437

Project no:

Brite EuRam Proposal No. BE96-3843

Project title:

IPACS - IMPROVED PRODUCTION OF ADVANCED

CONCRETE STRUCTURES

Project coordinator:

Betongindustri AB, Dr Mats Emborg

Partners:

Betongindustri AB
Cementa AB
Selmer ASA
Technical University of Delft
ENEL
Technical Uinversity of Lule
NCC AB
Skanska Teknik AB
Technical University of Braunschweig
Ismes
Norwegian Public Roads Directorate
Elkem AS
Norcem AS
Technical University of Trondheim

Date of issue of this report:

01.03.2000

Revised date:

31.05.2001
Project funded by the European Community under the Industrial & Materials Technologies
Programme (Brite-EuRam III)

IMPROVED PRODUCTION OF ADVANCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES - IPACS

Background
Research and practical experience show that the quality and lifetime of concrete structures largely
depend on the curing conditions in the concrete's early life, as inadequate curing leads to malfunction
and cracking. A major source of deleterious cracking already in the construction stage is the
occurrence of stresses in the hardening concrete due to restrained volume change related to hydration
temperatures and shrinkage phenomena. It is thus of utmost importance, especially regarding new high
performance concrete, that the proper execution conditions are maintained throughout the construction
period by avoiding the premature cracking.
Objective of project
Main goal of IPACS is to evaluate, integrate and extend the existing knowledge about early age
concrete crack prediction in engineering practice yielding the following benefits:
Contractors and designers will have new and more reliable engineering instruments enabling them to
predict and to optimise the technical effect and cost of alternative designs and execution procedures all in the process of fulfilling the quality requirements set up by the owners or the community (codes).
Reduced costs because of the present tendency to specify costly but unnecessarily rigorous crack
criteria will be avoided.
Owners will have access to improved means of specifying and controlling desired quality
requirements regarding serviceability and service life of their structures.
Reduced maintenance costs and increase of service lifetime.
Main tasks and investigations in IPACS and output from the project:

Hydration and volume changes To acquire data for the modelling of properties of a
number of currently used concrete types.
Mechanical properties - Testing and modelling of mechanical properties.
Behaviour of structures - Computer modelling of structural behaviour.
Field tests - To check and improve the models of the previous tasks in full-scale tests.
Expert System.

The Expert System synthesises the results from the project into a robust engineering tool for planning
and control of the production of concrete structures. It contains modules of varying simplicity, which
can be used in all the phases of a construction project from pre-design to maintenance
Project Partners:
See earlier page
Project Co-ordinator:
Dr Mats Emborg Betongindustri AB (Heidelberger Zement North Europe) (SE)
Dr Hans-Erik Gram/Mr Mats berg Cementa AB (Heidelberger Zement North Europe) (SE)
Disclaimer
The author/authors and producer of this report have used their best effort in preparing this report. These efforts
include the development, research and testing of the theories and programs to determine their effectiveness. The
author/authors and producer make no warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, with regard to these programs
or documentation contained in this report. The author/authors and publisher shall not be liable in any event for
incidental or consequential damage in connection with, or arising out of, the furnishing, performance, or use of
these programs.
Editorial/production supervision:
Cover design:
Prepress material:
Printed and published by

Prof. Lennart Elfgren

Hans Hedlund
By report authors
Lule University of Technology,
Department of Civil and Mining Engineering,
Division of Structural Engineering
SE-971 87 Lule, Sweden

CONTENTS
1

INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................4

INSTRUMENTATION .................................................................................5
2.1
General ...............................................................................................5
2.2
Gauges for strain measurements ........................................................ 5
2.3
Temperature measurements ............................................................... 6

RELIABILITY OF THE VIBRATING WIRE STRAIN GAUGE ............... 7

3.1
Description of the gauge .................................................................... 7
3.2
Data reduction .................................................................................... 7
3.3
Check of the reliability by laboratory tests ........................................8

CONCRETE PROPERTIES .......................................................................... 9

4.1
Mix composition ................................................................................ 9
4.2
Laboratory test results ........................................................................9
4.3
Stress rig test ...................................................................................... 10

INSTALLATION OF THE GAUGES IN THE FIELD ................................13

5.1
Sensors location ................................................................................. 13
5.2
The data acquisition system ............................................................... 16

RESULTS OF THE FIELD TEST................................................................. 16

6.1
Starting of the monitoring and relevant events ..................................16
6.2
Data reduction .................................................................................... 16
6.3
Air and water temperature, wind velocity..........................................17
6.4
Section A............................................................................................ 19
6.5
Section B ............................................................................................ 22
6.6
Section C ............................................................................................ 25

CONCLUSIONS............................................................................................ 28

APPENDIX: VS Embedment Strain Gauge .......................................................................29

INTRODUCTION

The field test was forwarded to monitor the temperatures and the deformations of a reinforced
concrete structure designed to support a sluice gate. The structure is part of a new barrage under
construction in the Northern part of Italy on the Brembo river.
A view of the site is given in fig. 1.

Figure 1. The site of the field test on the Brembo river.

The structural element to be monitored is a reinforced concrete wall to be constructed on the left
riverside and casted over a foundation slab of about 30 cm. The wall has a total length of 8.4 m and a
height of 1.90 m; the thickness is variable from 1.8 m to 0.8 m along the length.
A photo of the construction phase of the wall is given in fig. 2.

Figure 2 The wall to be monitored in

the construction phase.

INSTRUMENTATION

2.1

General

The field test is aimed to monitor the internal temperatures and deformations of the wall at early ages,
starting from the concrete casting phase. Three different sections, having different thickness of 1.35 m,
1.20 m and 1 m, were taken into account. Temperature sensors and strain gauges were embedded in
each section in order to measure temperatures and deformations along the height of the wall.
Additional sensors were installed inside the foundation slab and air temperature, wind velocity and
water temperature were also monitored during the runtime of the field test.
2.2

Gauges for strain measurements

Following the indications acquired during a pilot field test carried out in Oslo on the Maridal Culvert,
the strain measurements were performed using two different kind of sensors:
reinforcement bars instrumented with electrical strain gauges, types TML AWC-8B;
vibrating wire embedment strain gauges.
The instrumented reinforcement bars consist of a stainless steel bar, 19 mm in diameter, with two
electrical strain gauges welded on opposite sides. The electrical gauges have a nominal resistance of
120 and a base length of 8 mm. A view of an instrumented bar is given in fig. 3.

Figure 3 Example of a reinforcement stainless steel bar instrumented with electrical strain gauges
The vibrating wire strain gauges adopted for the field test in Italy, are manufactured by Slope
Indicator. The type of gauge is VS 52630126 and a view of it is given in fig. 4. The gauge is designed
for direct embedment in the concrete structures and allows to measure both the internal deformation of
the structure and the temperature by a RTD temperature sensor .
A more detailed description of the vibrating wire gauge is given in the next chapters.

Figure 4 Types of transducers used during the field test.

2.3

Temperature measurements

The temperature measurements are carried out both by the Slope Indicator gauges and by thermistors
with a nominal resistance of 10k . The latters are encapsulated in a hollow brass cylinder (see fig. 4)
and embedded separately in the structure. The temperature measurements are detected with high
accuracy through voltage measurements carried out on a partitor of resistances.
Wind velocity is also monitored using a hot wire anemometer.

RELIABILITY OF THE VIBRATING WIRE STRAIN GAUGE

3.1

Description of the gauge

VS embedment strain gauges are designed to be embedded in the concrete and to measure strain in
reinforced concrete and mass concrete.
The body of the gauge is a steel tube with flanges at either end. Inside the body is a steel strip and a
magnetic coil. The strip is held in tension between the flanges, and the coil magnetically plucks the
steel strip, which then vibrates at its natural frequency. Strain in the concrete is transferred through the
flanges to the body and the steel strip, causing a change in the tension of the strip. When the strip is
plucked and set into vibration in the proximity of the magnetic coil, it generates a frequency signal that
is transmitted to a readout device. An increase in tensile strain causes an increase in frequency
whereas a compressive strain causes a decrease in frequency.
The relationship between strain in the concrete and the frequency signal returned to the readout device
is established by a second order polynomial expression.
The gauge adopted on this application works both in compression and in tension.
The total length of the body gauge is 160 mm, the diameter of the steel tube is 11 mm, the flanges
have a diameter of 32 mm and the gauge length is 145mm.
The measurement range is set from 1350 m/m of compressive strain up to 1350 m/m of tensile
strain.
3.2

Data reduction

The number displayed by the readout device represents microstrain, but not necessarily the total strain
in the structural element. The main reason is that there is already strain in the strip because it has been
tensioned in order to operate. This strain must be treated as an offset strain 0 and is eliminated by
subtracting it to the current reading curr.
The total apparent strain is given by:
app = curr - o

(1)

Changes in temperature would affect the strain measurements. To correct for temperature effects it is
necessary to acquire temperature measurements at the same time the offset strain reading and the
current strain reading are made.
According to the suggestion given from the manufacturer, to correct for changes in temperatures the
following relationship must be adopted:
load. = app ( c on - gauge)(Tcurr-To)
with:
load is the induced strain from mechanical loads;
con thermal expansion coefficient of the concrete member;
gauge thermal expansion coefficient of the strain gauge equal to 1210-6 C-1;
Tcurr current temperature reading;
To initial temperature reading.
Considering that the strain induced from thermal loads th are equal to

(2)

th = con (Tcurr - To)

(3)

the total true strain are given from the following relationship:
true = app. + gauge (Tcurr - To)

(4)

As the main purpose of the field test is to evaluate the total true strain of the structure under the effects
of the thermal transient produced from the hydration of cement and from restrained stresses caused by
the adjoining structures, in the following only the total true strain will be taken into account.

3.3

Check of the reliability by laboratory tests

To verify the reliability of the gauge some experimental tests were performed in the laboratory.
Preliminary tests took into account a vibrating wire strain gauge in free condition subjected to a
loading unloading cycle of tensile stress under constant temperature. The results of the measurements
have been compared with those carried by electrical strain gauges glued on the external body of the
VW gauge. The test results are plotted in fig. 5.
The agreement is almost satisfactory.
A second type of test was carried out on the same gauge applying a temperature variation from 0 C
up to 60 C.
The results are plotted in fig. 6 in terms of apparent strain and true strain, the latter being calculated
adopting a thermal expansion coefficient of the gauge equal to 1210-6 C-1, as suggested from the
manufacturer. The measurements of true strain carried out by the vibrating gauge are in fair agreement
with the measurements performed with the glued electrical gauges.

Figure 5 Comparison between vibrating wire strain gauge and glued electrical gauges during a
loading unloading cycle.

Figure 6 Comparison between vibrating wire strain gauge and glued electrical gauges under
temperature variation.

CONCRETE PROPERTIES

4.1

Mix composition

The mix composition of the concrete is given in tab. 1.

Material
Sand 0 4 mm
Sand 0 8 mm
Gravel 4 12.5 mm
Gravel 8 25 mm
Pozzolanic cement type CEM IV-A 32.5
Super plasticizer Sikament (1% of cement content)
Water

Content [kg/m3]
380
580
440
600
320
3.2
190

Table 1 Mix composition of the concrete.

4.2

Laboratory test results

Laboratory tests were performed to determine the following concrete properties: adiabatic temperature
rise, elastic modulus in compression, compressive strength, tensile strength, thermal expansion
coefficient, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, heat capacity.
Elastic modulus, compressive and tensile strengths were measured on cylindrical samples 16 cm in
diameter and 32 cm in height.
The results of the laboratory tests are given in fig. 7.

Figure 7 Mechanical properties of concrete.

The results of the measurements of the thermal properties measured in completely hardened concrete
sample are summarized in tab. 2.

Thermal properties
Thermal conductivity [W/(mC)]
Thermal diffusivity [cm2/h]
Heat capacity [kcal/(kgC)]
Thermal expansion coefficient [ m/(mC)]

Test result
2.9
51
0.195
8.6

Table 2. Results of the thermal properties measurements.

Finally, the development of the adiabatic temperature rise, measured on a cylindrical sample 32 cm in
diameter and 36 cm in height, is given in fig. 8. The test was carried out starting from an initial
temperature of the fresh concrete of 16.6 C: the adiabatic temperature rise measured after 7 days of
test was 34.1 C and the asymptotic temperature rise, calculated by a regression on the experimental
data, is equal to 35.8 C.

Figure 8 Adiabatic temperature rise measured during the hydration of cement.

4.3

Stress rig test

An additional test was carried out on a 150x150x1000 mm prismatic concrete sample to evaluate the
crack tendency of the concrete. To this end a sample of fresh concrete was casted within the ENEL
temperature stress testing machine (TSTM) whose sketch is given in fig. 9.
The rig allows the temperature to be controlled so the test has been carried out by applying to the
sample a realistic temperature curve. The longitudinal strains of the sample were fully prevented along
the runtime of the test and the stress development was measured.
The applied temperature conditions are very close to those expected in the field as a preliminary
temperature monitoring, carried out on a pile of the sluice gate, allowed to detect the expected
temperature variation.

10

Figure 9 Sketch of the ENEL temperature stress testing machine.

The results of the test, plotted in terms of temperature condition and stress development, are given in
fig. 10.
They put in evidence that, under fully restrained condition, the sample reaches a compressive stress of
about 0.4 MPa and a tensile stress of 1.2 MPa.
The maximum tensile stress, achieved after about 9 days, is rather far from the tensile strength of the
concrete, the latter being equal to 1.8 MPa.
If we also consider that the test in the stress rig was carried out under the worst case of fully restrained
condition it is likely to hypothesize that no cracks should be expected in the structure.

11

Figure 10 Results of the test performed by the ENEL stress rig under fully restrained condition
and realistic temperature history.
Ultrasonic pulse velocities were also measured in the concrete sample during the hardening phase of
the test performed by the stress rig.
The ultrasonic velocity measurements have been used to determine the static and dynamic moduli of
elasticity. To this end the empirical relationships, recommended from the BS 1881, Part 203, have
been adopted.
According to this recommendation, the estimate of modulus of elasticity will have an accuracy better
than 10 %.
The test results are given in fig. 11. They put in evidence the growth of the elastivity moduli during
the very early age of the concrete.

Figure 11 Growth of the static and dynamic moduli of elasticity determined by ultrasonic pulse
velocity.

12

INSTALLATION OF THE GAUGES IN THE FIELD

5.1

Sensors location

The temperature sensors and the strain gauges were placed in a way to monitor, in correspondence of
three sections, the following parameters:
the midway temperature along the height;
the deformation in the upper and lower part of the wall;
the temperature and deformation in the foundation slab.
Aim of the field test is also to compare the behaviour of the reinforcement bars against the vibration
wire strain gauges.
To this end both of them were installed very close each other, with their long axis oriented along the
length of the wall.
An example of installation of the gauges (reinforcement bar with welded strain gauges plus a vibrating
wire strain gauge) is given in fig. 12.

Figure 12 Example of installation of a vibrating wire strain gauge together with a reinforcement
bar instrumented with welded electrical gauges.

The three sections taken into account are named as A, B and C and the total number of sensors placed
in each of them and their right locations inside the structure are given in the figures 13 and 14.
To reduce possible errors caused from effects of drift and from temperature and resistance of the lead
wires, a dummy gauge was installed in the foundation slab.
The dummy gauge consists of a reinforcement bar with welded strain gauge and a thermistor to
measure the temperature. The two gauges are not in contact with the concrete but they have been
encapsulated in a hollow cylindrical case filled with an anti-freezing; the case was then embedded in
the slab, in the position shown in fig. 13.

13

14

15

The total number of transducers are summarized in tab. 3 using the following notation:
VW - vibrating wires strain gauges;
EL reinforced bar with welded electrical strain gauges;
TR single thermistor.
Section

A
B
C
Dummy
Atmosphere

Wall
Thickness
[m]
1.35
1.20
1
Slab
-

Temperature
Measurements

Vibrating wire strain

measurements

By TR
1
1
2
1
1

VW
3
3
2

By VW
3
3
2

Strain
measurements by
reinforced bar
EL
2
2
2
1

Table 3. Total number of sensors installed in each section.

Adding the wind velocity, which was measured by an electric anemometer, a total of 30 parameters
were monitored.
5.2

The data acquisition system

The adopted data acquisition system is a fully automated data logger capable to store up to 128 Kbytes
of data and it has been set up to acquire data from a total of 31 channels, corresponding to the total
number of sensors installed in the field.
All the measurements have been initially acquired with a frequency of a set of data every ten minutes
up to 26 days of test and then every hour till the end of the test.

RESULTS OF THE FIELD TEST

6.1

Starting of the monitoring and relevant events.

The data acquisition started right after the casting of the concrete, occurred on February 2nd, 1999 for
the foundation slab and on February 3rd, 1999, for the wall.
The monitoring was carried out for a total of 56 days starting from the casting of the slab.
On the tenth day of test a layer of bricks was placed on the top of the wall.
6.2

Data reduction.

Zero readings were taken about 3 hours after the casting of the concrete.
A first data reduction of the measurements was carried out using the data acquired by the dummy
gauge to correct the strain measurements by reinforcement bars for possible effects of drift, changes in
temperature of the leads and for the effects of the length of the leads.
It has been found that the most contribution to the disturbance on the experimental data measured by
these gauges was given from the effects of the atmospheric temperature variations on the lead wires
whereas no drift effect has been detected.
The temperature rise of the dummy gauge is plotted in fig. 15; the true strains of this gauge, after a
process of filtering, cleaning and smoothing, are given in fig. 16.
It is seen that the apparent thermal expansion coefficient of the reinforcement bar is equal to about
9.510-6 C-1.
In the following of the report the evolution of the true strain of the structure will be taken into account.

16

Figure 15 Temperature rise of the dummy gauge.

Figure 16 True strain of the dummy gauge.

6.3

Air and water temperature, wind velocity.

Wind velocity, air and water temperature were monitored for all the period of the field test. The
monitoring of the water temperature started 20 days later, in correspondence to the initial service of
the gate.
The measurements of the wind velocity are given in fig. 17, water and air temperature are plotted in
fig. 18 and the air temperature at early age is given in fig.19.

17

Figure 17 Wind velocity.

Figure 18 Water and air temperature.

Figure 19 Air temperature during the first 14 days.

18

6.4

Section A

This section is in correspondence of a length of the wall of 0.87 m and a thickness of 1.35 m.
A total of 6 gauges were placed. Correspondingly, 9 parameters were monitored, divided as follows: 4
temperatures, 3 strains by vibrating wire gauges, 2 strains by reinforced bars.
The initial temperature of the fresh concrete was about 4.5C and the monitoring of the wall started
one day after the monitoring of the slab.
In fig. 20 a detailed view of the position of the gauges and the measured temperatures and true strains
are reported.
In fig. 21 the same results are plotted taking into account the first 14 days of test.
From the results of temperature measurements the following comments can be done:
although there is one day of difference between the age of casting of the slab and the wall, the
maximum temperature rise occurs approximately at the same time;
the maximum rise, equal to 18 C, is reached from the sensors TR10 and VW4 which are
placed towards the centre of the wall;
the temperature sensor VW7, being positioned at the top of the wall, measures the lowest
temperature rise of 12 C and the measurements are affected from the variation of the air
temperature;
the maximum temperature rise measured in the slab is positioned midway between the
aforementioned extremes but the decrease of the temperature occurs more slowly than in the
wall.
More complex is the analysis of the strains.
First of all, at early ages there is a large difference between the strains measured by the reinforced bar
EL1 and EL4 and those measured by the vibrating wire strain gauge VW1 and VW4; the first
measures a maximum true tensile strain of the order of 200
against about 50
measured by the
vibrating wire gauges.
The strain measurements carried out by the reinforcement bars are close to the free thermal expansion
of the bars; this can be ascribed to a slip effect occurred between the instrumented bars and the
concrete.
Unfortunately, this effect will be confirmed from the measurements carried out by the other
reinforcement bars placed in the section B and C.
Taking into account the deformations measured by the vibrating wire gauges it is possible to put in
evidence that:
from the comparison of VW1 and VW4 it is possible to clearly see that strains in the slab are
induced from the deformation of the wall (see fig 21 at an age of about 2 days);
despite the marked difference at early ages, after 10 days there is a good agreement between
the measurements carried out by reinforced bars and corresponding vibrating gauges
(comparison between EL1 and VW1 and between EL4 and VW4).
It is clear that the difference between electrical and vibrating wire gauges occurs during the thermal
transient caused by the hydration of the cement and that after this period all the gauges measure a
similar trend. It is rather difficult to explain a such tendency.

19

Figure 20 Sketch of the position of the gauges, temperature rise and strain evolution results
in the section A.

20

Figure 21 Field test results in section A recorded during the first 14 days of test.

21

6.5

Section B

This section is in correspondence of a length of the wall of 3 m and a thickness of 1.20 m.

A total of 6 transducers were installed, corresponding to the measurements of 9 parameters divided as
follows: 4 temperatures, 3 strains by vibrating wire gauges, 2 strains by reinforced bars.
The details of their location and the results of the measurements are given in fig. 22.
In fig. 23 the results are plotted within the age of 14 days.
In this section some problems with the data acquisition system did not let to record the measurements
performed by the reinforced bar EL5 during the first 8 days.
However, also in this section the measurements performed by this type of gauge (EL2 and EL5) put in
evidence that some slip could be occurred between gauge and concrete.
As regards the trend of the temperatures it is possible to make the following comments:
the maximum temperature rise, equal to 20 C, is recorded at the bottom of the wall (gauge VW5);
the top sensor (VW8) measures the lowest temperature rise (14 C);
the maximum temperature rise of the slab, equal to 17C, is in the middle of these two extreme levels.
The strain measurements lead to the following comments:
the agreement between reinforcement bar and corresponding vibrating wire gauge (comparison of EL2
with VW2 and EL5 with VW5) is satisfactory after 15 days;
the deformations of the wall are induced on the slab (see fig. 23 at the age of 2 days);
the temperature variation has a marked influence on the strain measurements (see, for example, the
temperature variations of the gauge VW8 with the corresponding strain measurements).

22

Section B - B
300
Brick
17
38

VW 8
TR 11

71
7.5
7.5

104

91

VW 5
VW 2

EL 5

Wall

EL 2

Foundation slab

161

Dimensions in cm

Figure 22 Sketch of the position of the gauges, temperature rise and strain evolution results
in the section B.

23

Figure 23 Field test results in section B recorded during the first 14 days of test.

24

6.6

Section C

This section is in correspondence of a length of the wall of 7.20 m and a thickness of 1 m.

A total of 6 gauges, corresponding to the measurement of 8 parameters were performed. They include:
4 temperatures measurements, 2 strain measurements by vibrating wires strain gauges, 2 strain
measurements by reinforced bars.
The detailed position of the gauges and the results of the measurements are given in fig. 24.
The results of the measurements performed during the first 14 days of monitoring are plotted in fig.
25.
In this section the measured maximum temperature rises increase going from the top to the bottom of
the wall and the maximum rise is recorded in the slab. This is due to a deeper installation of the gauge.
Even more difficult is to give an interpretation to the evolution of the deformation measured by the
reinforcement bars EL3 and EL6. Both of the gauges show a similar trend, but the recorded variation
are not in agreement either with the temperature variation or with the VW strain gauges.
The strain measurements in the slab, carried out by VW strain gauges, put in evidence that during the
first 2 days of test a more pronounced contraction phase than in the other tested sections A and B
occurred in the structure.

25

Section C - C
720

Brick

71
96
7.5

7.5

20
38
57

TR 13
TR 12
EL 6
VW 6
EL 3

Wall
Foundation slab

VW 3

161

Dimensions in cm

Figure 24 Sketch of the position of the gauges, temperature rise and strain evolution in the
section C.

26

Figure 25 Results of the field test in the section C during the first 14 days.

27

CONCLUSIONS

A total of 13 positions were instrumented to monitor a reinforced concrete wall designed to support a
sluice gate on the Brembo river, in the North part of Italy .
The instrumentation was installed in three sections with different thickness of the wall and in the
corresponding slab foundation. Wind velocity, air and water temperatures were also recorded.
The following types of transducers were used:
thermistor for temperature measurements;
vibrating wire strain gauges for temperature and strain measurements;
reinforcement steel bars with welded electrical strain gauges for strain measurements.
No transducers were lost during the test and the monitoring and data acquisition system worked quite
well.
All the measured strains have been plotted and analyzed in terms of true strains.
Preliminary tests performed in the laboratory have put in evidence the reliability of the adopted
vibrating wire strain gauge. The results of the field test have confirmed that the adopted vibrating wire
strain gauges work quite well to measure both temperatures and strains and are well suited to be
embedded in concrete and to measure the strain evolution at early ages.
Also the thermistors, which have been encapsulated in a hollow brass cylinder and have been
embedded separately in the structure to monitor the temperature, have demonstrated high reliability
and robustness.
Some problems have risen from the reinforcement steel bars instrumented with welded electrical strain
gauges. First of all, the measurements are disturbed from a thermal noise caused by the air temperature
variations on the leads wire; secondarily, the measured deformations seem to be affected from a slip
effect between bar and concrete. In the practice, it appears that the measured strains are in good
agreement with the free thermal deformation of the bars.
Laboratory tests were also carried out to determine the material properties of the concrete used in the
field.
Besides to the most common tests aimed to determine the mechanical and thermal properties an
additional test was carried out by the ENEL temperature stress testing machine to check the cracking
tendency of the concrete.
This test was carried out under a temperature history reflecting the concrete temperature variation at
early age in the field and under the worst case of fully restrained conditions.
Although the test was stopped at 9 days of age, the maximum tensile stress reached from the sample
during the cooling phase is still far from the tensile strength of the concrete.
On the other hand, from a visual inspection of the monitored wall, no cracks were detected in the
structure.

28

APPENDIX:
VS Embedment Strain Gauge

29