Use of Microwaves for Damage Detection of Fiber Reinforced Polymer-Wrapped Concrete Structures

Jacketing technology using fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites is being applied for seismic retrofit and rehabilitation of reinforced concrete (RC) columns designed and constructed under older specifications. In this study, the authors develop an electromagnetic (EM) imaging technology for detecting such damage as voids and debonding between the jacket and the column, which may significantly weaken the structural performance of the column otherwise attainable by jacketing. This technology is based on the reflection analysis of a continuous EM wave sent toward and reflected from layered FRP–adhesive-concrete medium: Voids and debonding areas will generate air gaps which produce additional reflections of the EM wave. In this study, dielectric properties of various materials involved in the FRP-jacketed RC column were first measured using a plane-wave reflectometer. The measured properties were then used for a computer simulation of the proposed EM imaging technology. The simulation demonstrated the difficulty in detecting damage by using plane waves, as the reflection contribution from the voids and debonding is very small compared to that from the jacketed column. In order to alleviate this difficulty, dielectric lenses were designed and fabricated, focusing the EM wave on the bonding interface. Finally, three concrete columns were constructed and wrapped with glass–FRP jackets with various voids and debonding conditions artificially introduced in the bonding interface. Using the proposed EM imaging technology involving the especially designed and properly installed lenses, these voids and debonding areas were successfully detected. This technology can be used to assess the jacket bonding quality during the initial jacket installation stage and to detect debonding between the column and the jacket caused by earthquake and other destructive loads

Miniature multi-element antenna for wireless communications

We present a novel broad-band miniature antenna and employ it in a multi-element geometry with diversity capabilities for wireless communications. This antenna (diameter < 0.2 λ and thickness < 0.06 λ) consists of two stacked circular patches that create two cylindrical slots resonating at two slightly different frequencies, fed by a strategically positioned coaxial probe. An extensive parametric study and results for a prototype working at 5.2 GHz are presented. A multi-element geometry with two or four of such elements follows. Microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based switches located within its geometry can not only change the working frequency of the design, but also activate a particular radiation beam depending on their specific location (resonant slot-aperture or feed line). Simulation results of a four-element antenna with dimensions 0.8 λ × 0.8 λ × 0.06 λ and a frequency band operation from 5 to 6 GHz are presented and compared to an experimental prototype. Circuit and radiation characteristics are discussed in terms of reconfigurability and diversity capabilities.Peer Reviewe

Dual-band planar quadrature hybrid with enhanced bandwidth response

This paper presents the theory, design procedure, and implementation of a dual-band planar quadrature hybrid with enhanced bandwidth. The topology of the circuit is a three-branch-line (3-BL) quadrature hybrid, which provides much larger flexibility to allocate the desired operating frequencies and necessary bandwidths than other previously published configurations. A performance comparison with other dual-band planar topologies is presented. Finally, a 3-BL quadrature hybrid for dual band (2.4 and 5 GHz) wireless local area network systems was fabricated, aimed to cover the bands corresponding to the standards IEEE802.11a/b. The measurements show a 16% and 18% bandwidth for the lower and upper frequency, respectively, satisfying and exceeding the bandwidth requirements for the above standards.Peer Reviewe

Dual-band Butler matrix for WLAN systems

This paper shows the design of a dual-band Butler matrix aimed to cover the bands corresponding to the standards IEEE802.11a/b, with particular interest in WLAN systems, at the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Measurements of the individual dual-band components which compose the Butler matrix are presented. Those components are: quadrature hybrid and 0 dB coupler. The phase shifter design is also described. A final design of the Butler matrix is proposed and measured. Over the proposed frequency range, the Butler matrix exhibits phase errors and couplings of within 13.5/spl deg/ and - 6.7 /spl plusmn/ 0.8 dB, respectively. A performance prediction of the Butler matrix connected to an array of isotropic and perfectly matched antennas separated half-wavelength in air is also briefly commentedPeer Reviewe

A dual-band antenna for WLAN applications by double rectangular patch with 4-bridges

Double rectangular patch with 4-bridges is investigated for solution of IEEE 802.11b/g (2.4GHz) and 802.11a (5.5GHz). Rectangular patch for 5.5GHz frequency band is printed on the PCB substrate and connected to another rectangular patch for 2.4GHz frequency band with 4-bridges to obtain dual band operation in an antenna element. 4-briges can modify the desired frequency band from its original frequency band by changing its width. The proposed antenna has a low profile and is fed by 50Ω coaxial line. Gain of 2.4 GHz patch is 5dBi and 5.5 GHz patch is 3.7dBi at θ=0°. I

Microwave Subsurface Imaging Technology for Damage Detection

This paper presents a technology for detecting invisible damage inside concrete, which is based on reconstruction of dielectric profile (image) of the concrete illuminated with microwaves sent from and received by antenna arrays controlled by specialized software. The imaging system developed in this study consists of an 8X8 transmitting and an 8X8 receiving arrays, an innovative numerical bifocusing operator for improving image resolution, and imaging software for reconstructing a two-dimensional image from the scattered field. The effectiveness of the of the developed technology in detecting steel and voids inside concrete has been demonstrated through numerical simulation and experiments

Novel design methodology of matching networks based on the use of simmetry operators

Postprint (published version

Small-size broadband multi-element antenna for RF/wireless systems

We present a small-size broadband antenna specifically designed for integration with RF/wireless communication systems. The antenna is built on a printed circuit board and fed by a coplanar waveguide (CPW) to allow further easy integration with active and passive components of the communication system. The compact architecture of the antenna is suitable for multi-element scenarios for diversity implementations. Theoretical and experimental results showing impedance and radiation characteristics for both single- and multi-element antenna are given and discussedPeer Reviewe

Microwave reflection tomographic array for damage detection of civil structures

Microwave tomographic imaging technology using a bifocusing operator has been developed in order to detect the internal voids/objects inside concrete structures. The imaging system consists of several cylindrical or planar array antennas for transmitting and receiving signals, and a numerical focusing operator is applied to the external signals both in transmitting and in receiving fields. An imaging algorithm using numerical focusing operator was developed, which allows the recovery of a two-dimensional object from its scattered field. Numerical simulation demonstrated that a subsurface image can be successfully reconstructed by using the proposed tomographic imaging technology. For the experimental verification, a prototype planar antenna array was fabricated and tested on a concrete specimen.Peer Reviewe

Design and performance evaluation of a dielectric flat lens antenna for millimeter-wave applications

©2014 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.In this letter, a practical fabrication of a novel inhomogeneous gradient-index dielectric flat lens for millimeter-wave applications is presented. A previous theoretical design of a dielectric flat lens composed of different permittivity materials is now modeled and analyzed for a practical prototype fabrication and performance evaluation at 60 and 77 GHz. The measurement results at 60 GHz show that with the novel gradient-index dielectric flat lens antenna prototype, we can achieve up to 18.3 dB of broadside gain, beam-steering capabilities in both planes from -30 degrees to +30 degrees with around 15 dB of gain, and up to +/- 45 degrees with around 14 dB of gain, with low sidelobe levels. At 77 GHz, the performance evaluation shows that we can obtain up to 18.9 dB of broadside gain, beam-steering capabilities in both planes from -30 degrees to +30 degrees with around 17 dB of gain and low sidelobe levels, and up to +/- 45 degrees with around 15 dB of gain. This novel design leads to a low-cost, low-profile, and lightweight antenna solution, easy to integrate in a compact millimeter-wave wireless communication system.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft