Real-Time Concrete Strength Sensors​

When the conventional is cumbersome and costly, we are proud to be called unconventional.

 

Introducing REBEL™ Concrete Strength Sensors – the world’s first-ever, completely BREAK-FREE™ , real-time, in-place concrete strength solution.

 

The REBEL™ Concrete Strength Sensing System requires:

  • NO concrete breaks
  • NO maturity curves
  • NO guesswork, interpretation, or manipulation
  • NO unnecessary schedule delays
  • NO waste

Today’s construction industry requires accurate, real-time data regarding the strength of concrete structures in order to ensure structural integrity and safety while also optimizing construction schedules and project cost efficiencies. Exposing concrete structures to traffic or adding vertical layers of a concrete structure too soon, before the strength of the concrete has reached certain minimum levels, can cause premature failure and deterioration of the quality and lifespan of the structure, costing the industry and taxpayers millions upon millions of dollars and, in catastrophic cases, even lives. At the same time, curing concrete structures beyond the time required causes delays in operations, prolonged traffic congestion, wasted human capital, and cost overruns.

As our REBEL™ name suggests, there is nothing conventional about our technology. In contrast to all other testing methods, our concrete strength testing method is the only one in the world that can directly measure, in real-time, in-place concrete strength without any destructive concrete testing, without the development of a maturity curve, and without any reliance or assumptions regarding concrete mix. If a concrete mix needs to be changed mid-stream during a project, no problem – our sensors are not impacted by concrete mix design.
Concrete Sample Cylinders & Beams

Current concrete strength testing methods can be expensive and time-consuming and are based upon only small samples of much larger concrete structures or are reliant upon concrete mixture assumptions and reference calibrations.

Direct costs associated with destructive testing can range anywhere from $4 to $12 per cubic yard of concrete per testing party (depending on the number of samples taken and whether third party labs are used). This does not even begin to account for the indirect costs associated with the inaccuracies, inefficiencies and waste associated with current testing methods.

Image courtesy of Giatec Scientifc
Destructive Concrete Strength Testing

The industry standard for testing concrete strength involves breaking multiple field-cured concrete samples (cylinders or beams). This practice has remained generally unchanged since the early 19th century. 


There are a number of disadvantages with destructive strength testing, including inaccuracy, quality control issues, inter-user variability, time inefficiencies, labor-intensiveness, material waste and expense. Despite its weaknesses, destructive testing is “the way it’s always been done.”

Maturity sensors installed on rebar
Maturity Testing
Although maturity testing, like REBEL™, allows for real-time concrete strength monitoring, it still requires making and breaking concrete samples and lab development of a maturity curve for each concrete mix to be used on a job. This testing and calibration can cost several thousand dollars and can take weeks. This is not a feasible option when concrete mixes need to be changed mid-stream during a project, which is common. Additionally, maturity relies solely upon temperature for estimating strength (without regard to hydration or other environmental factors), making maturity testing irrelevant for acceptance testing at 28 days or any time point beyond 3 days (when temperature changes are occurring).

OUR BREAK-FREE™ APPROACH

Our REBEL™ Concrete Strength Sensing System is unique compared to all other concrete strength testing and monitoring methods and technologies in that it uses piezoelectric sensors coupled with electromechanical impedance (EMI) analysis to deliver a cutting edge solution to a century-old problem.

Our sensors convert the mechanical properties of concrete into electrical signals to provide highly accurate and real-time information regarding in-place concrete strength for determining optimal timing for traffic opening, pulling post-tensioning tendons, and striking vertical formwork without any need for creating maturity curves or other calibration and without regard to concrete mixtures or weather conditions or any changes in those mixtures or conditions during the course of a project.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE

Wavelogix’s REBEL™ Concrete Strength Sensors are incredibly easy to install and operate. Much like maturity sensors, each sensor is placed within the concrete formwork and embedded in freshly poured concrete. REBEL™ then collects, in real-time, concrete strength data that is wirelessly transmitted back to the end-user in the same way as maturity sensor applications.
STEP 1: INSTALL SENSOR TO GET STARTED
Simply lay the REBEL™ sensor on the ground of the concrete formwork or secure the sensor to rebar reinforcements with zip ties, then cover with concrete.
STEP 2: CONNECT SENSOR CABLE TO DATALOGGER
Plug the REBEL™ sensor cable into the reusable, auto-start datalogger for data transmission.
STEP 3: MONITOR REAL-TIME STRENGTH RESULTS

Directly measure and monitor real-time changes in concrete strength 24/7 at your fingertips – using your cell phone, tablet or other device of choice – for as long as strength data is required (up to 28 days and beyond).