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New smart concrete sensors prevent frequent highway repairs

By Katy Szpak

Posted July 28, 2023

concrete sensor at indianapolis I-465 and I-69 construction

Field test team installs a sensor at the I-465 interchange and I-69 construction area. (Courtesy Rui He)

The Indiana Department of Transportation is installing a newly developed sensor on the I-465 interchange and I-69 south.

The Rebel sensor will send information to engineers regarding the strength of the concrete, researchers at Purdue University announced Tuesday in a statement. 

Professor Luna Lu and her team invented the technology to completely replace concrete durability testing. Lu is also the owner of the Wavelogix company that was created to manufacture and market the Rebel. 

The Rebel is embedded in the concrete when it is poured. It sends vibrations through the concrete that measure its solidness. It can send real-time information, allowing contractors to have a faster turnaround to open the road.

Other concrete maturity sensors cannot replace traditional break-testing. Wavelogix’s technology “completely blows the competition out of the water,” according to Henry Silva, director of product development at the company. 

Concrete must be break-tested multiple times during road construction to ensure that it cures properly to withstand traffic and heavy vehicles. This method involves pouring concrete samples from the batch of concrete and breaking them at three, seven and 28 days after they are poured. 

If the tests fail, the road may need to be removed and repoured. The concrete can also undergo premature failure by opening the road before the concrete is fully cured, meaning it will need frequent repairs. This traditional method can be expensive and not fully accurate. The Rebel could save taxpayer dollars on road repairs. 

“The [break-testing] process is also very wasteful and labor intensive,” Silva said. “It produces the equivalent of 27 Hoover dams a year worth of concrete.”

The sensor is part of a study from the Federal Highway Administration. Missouri, Tennessee and Texas have also installed the sensor. Silva said the company would make the Rebel available for sale next year. It will cost less than other concrete testing methods, according to Silva.

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