A review study on the novel methods in pavement damage detection based on piezo-resistance capability in self-sensing concrete

The structural health monitoring of the infrastructure before and during the operation allows the supervisors to detect damage in concrete structures in the first stage of damage initiation and help the society economically and sustainably. This article investigates pavement surface and subsurface monitoring methods using piezo-resistance sensors inside the concrete. At first, self-sensing concrete sensors' damage detection mechanisms were studied and investigated for different loading conditions. Next, the article focused on the reviews of several methods developed based on the piezo-resistive properties in concrete to evaluate the level of damage. These methods, such as fracture mechanics, sequential electrodes, resistor mesh model, and tomography methods, were considered in this research. In the end, the tomography method used to detect crack propagation in a concrete pavement under an accelerated loading test in the real-world example was investigated. The results showed that the tomography method could accurately detect damage even from the subsurface of the concrete pavement when the damages come up to the surface. Therefore, the accuracy and prediction of such methods will be the key to developing smart infrastructure and future ways.