Application of advanced non-destructive testing for detection of corrosion-induced damage in graphene oxide based concrete composite

The early detection and evaluation of corrosion-induced damage and cracking in concrete structural members in real-time is of significant importance to reduce the risk of the catastrophic failure. For this purpose, this paper describes the application of an advanced non-destructive testing approach known as piezoelectric transducer-based electro-mechanical impedance (EMI) technique to the detection of corrosion-induced damage in graphene oxide based concrete composite (GOCC) sample in real-time. Firstly, the GOCC cube samples were prepared with 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04 and 0.05% percentages of graphene oxide (GO) by weight of cement to estimate the compressive strength. Further, GOCC cylindrical samples were prepared for the optimum percentage of GO for the detection and evaluation of corrosion-induced damage using embedded piezo sensor (EPS). The changes in resonance peak, amplitude, root-mean square deviation (RMSD) and deterioration in terms of equivalent stiffness were estimated by performing the qualitative, quantitative and equivalent stiffness parameters analyses. Furthermore, gravimetric analysis was performed to identify the corrosion rate and correlated with the EMI results. The findings and analysis from compressive strength testing results indicates that at 0.03% of GO, concrete attains its maximum compressive strength. The EPS effectively captured the changes in the initiation phase of corrosion in terms of frequency and amplitude shifts. On comparison between CC and GOCC, it is found that CC shows a rapid stiffness loss (48%) compared to GOCC (40%) in first 10 days. The equivalent stiffness parameter provides a clear indication of corrosion-induced damage in GOCC. CC samples exhibited severe corrosion and cracked after around 60 days (1440 h), whereas GOCC delayed cracking to up to 82 days (1968 h), indicating around 37% longer corrosion initiation time. Additionally, GOCC exhibited (20-25) % lower mass loss and (35–40) % reduced corrosion rates compared to CC, demonstrating enhanced corrosion resistance. Overall, GOCC exhibited better corrosion resistance than conventional concrete, with reduced rust formation.