Cement matrix 2-2 piezoelectric composite - Part 1. Sensory effect

Experimental results of the sensory effect of a cement matrix 2-2 piezoelectric composite are presented. The purpose of the research is to develop a self-sensing actuator exclusively for use in intelligent structures in the civil engineering field. The composite was fabricated by casting cement-based mortar into a series of pre-arranged piezoelectric thin plates. Different from most research work on piezoelectric materials, the current research focuses on the electromechanical properties and mechanical properties of the piezoelectric composite at relatively low frequencies (0.1 to 50 Hz) due to the special requirements for intelligent structures in the civil engineering field. In this frequency range, linear elastic behavior was observed for the composite. Viscosity or hysteresis, which often exists in some polymer matrix piezoelectric composites, was not observed. A complex math form was adopted to characterize the piezoelectric coefficients. It was found that the magnitude of the composite piezoelectric coefficients exhibited a linear dependency on the frequency, while the phase had an asymptotic dependency on the frequency. In the load range used, no dependency of the piezoelectric coefficients on load level was found for the composite.