Researchers test sensors that could speed up construction schedules

The sensors could help make better data-driven decisions to determine the construction schedule and improve the quality of concrete construction

How long it takes to construct a building depends in large part on when the concrete of each floor is strong enough to take on loads.

Purdue University engineers have developed sensors that could safely speed up a construction timeline by determining concrete strength directly onsite in real time.

Typically, concrete mix designs require testing before implementation in a construction project. Once those mixes have been vetted for use, the mix design cannot be altered without additional offsite testing.

The technology that Purdue engineers designed would remove the need for extensive offsite testing by allowing construction contractors to verify the concrete’s maturity onsite.

“Our sensors could help make better data-driven decisions to determine the construction schedule and improve the quality of concrete construction,” said Luna Lu, Purdue’s American Concrete Pavement Association Professor of Civil Engineering.