Laboratory of Digital Models in Structures and Construction

Digital Twins and Corrosion of RC Elements

ReINfoRCeD is a project from Agencia Estatal de Investigación aimed to develop a framework for reusing RC structures by extending their service life through digitized assessment, sensing technologies, and eco-efficient strengthening techniques. A coordinated effort between UPC and UIB, the project fostered early-stage twinning of digital and physical structures. It combined experimental, analytical, and numerical methods to support life cycle-based decision-making. The research explored TRM, FRP, and SMA strengthening techniques, emphasizing eco-efficient solutions, and contributed to digital tools for assessment and rehabilitation, advancing circular economy principles.

The lab contributes to the project with:

Measurements

ReINfoRCeD validates procedures and methodologies with the help of laboratory tests. Concrete slabs with different exposure to corrosion are tested at LATEM, our big lab brother. We contribute to the development of measuring devices for tracking concrete maturity. Prototyped devices include temperature sensors, Wi-Fi connectivitity with cloud platforms and track of the evolution of the maturity of the material by means of experimental measurements. 

Concrete Maturity Measurements

Arduino Cloud

With the help of Arduino IoT cloud and the use of Ontologies, sensor information is stored and retrieved. The Semantic Sensor Network (SSN) ontology provides a structured framework for representing sensors, their observations, associated procedures, studied features of interest, utilized samples, observed properties, and actuators. A self-contained core ontology, SOSA (Sensor, Observation, Sample, and Actuator) defines its fundamental classes and properties.

Platform Integration

Measurements can be adequately retrieved from cloud platforms and information can be used in real time to visualize the material evolution. A platform with adequate visualization of interesting applications of the concrete slabs is the ultimate development of the project. Integration of measurements, structural analysis and geometry erect the frame of the twin vision of this elements. One of the specific objectives of the project is to develop twinned tests on RC slabs.