Smarter concrete sensors allow remote monitoring

February 11, 2020

Concrete sensors have been around for a while now, but new technology unveiled at the World of Concrete trade show in Las Vegas this month has moved the dial on its acceptance and versatility.
Current single-use sensors used to collect data on the strength and temperature of concrete requires a person to visit a job site to read the Bluetooth transmissions in the first weeks after a pour. The new system, call Maturix, allows the data to be retrieved by a smartphone or computer from anywhere in the world—even years after the concrete is put in place.
“Maturix uses thermocouples and reusable temperature sensors providing real-time connectivity and remote monitoring of concrete maturity and strength. Data is automatically collected every 10 minutes and transmitted wirelessly to the cloud with information available in various report formats,” according to Kryton International Ltd., which introduced the technology to North America.
Maturix smart concrete technology runs on the Sigfox 0G network, the world’s largest Internet-of-Things (IoT) network covering more than 65 countries. Maturix sensor batteries last for 10 years—current sensor products normally last a few weeks.  The Maturix system is already being used in Europe, according to Kryton.
Here is how the Maturix system works: multiple sacrificial sensors are attached to rebar and connected to a transmitter; the concrete is poured; and, sensor data is transmitted to a mobile device, like a smartphone or a desktop computer, anywhere there is Internet service. It can also be programmed to provide alerts when certain temperatures are reached or if a defect  is discovered.
“What is really exciting about this technology is that the sensors are reusable,” said Kevin Yuers, Kryton’s vice-president of product development. “Unlike single-use sensors that are cast into concrete, Maturix Smart Concrete Sensors can be used over and over for multiple castings and projects. Not only does this significantly reduce cost, but it’s also a much greener and more sustainable use of materials.”