Moisture in Concrete Aggregates and its relation to the Dielectric Constant

Main Article Content

Franco Abanto https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9388-2692
Pedro Rotta https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6439-2870
Luis La Madrid https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4293-8086
Juan Soto https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9157-3098
Gerson La Rosa https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6829-2706
José Manrique https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0331-2734
Gaby Ruiz https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3835-9708
William Ipanaque https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4039-4422

Abstract

Measurement of the moisture content (MC) of aggregates of concrete (AOC) in the manufacture of ready-mix concrete is one of the current challenges in the construction industry, since it affects the final properties of the concrete. At present, the methods for measuring the MC in AOC are invasive and destructive. This paper presents a modern sensing technique based on dielectric spectroscopy (DS), a method that by propagating microwaves in the material correlates its dielectric constant (DC) and its MC. In this research, this method is used in AOC. Three diferents peruvian quarries (Moyobamba, Sol-sol and Cerro Mocho) have been used. The results show that the sensor at a frequency of 1.5GHz is capable of detecting the MC in AOC with a linear regression R2 = 95%. In conclusion, the DS can be utilized as an online and non invasive sensing method of MC in AOC to be used in the construction industry.