Measuring Device, and Systems and Methods for Obtaining Data Relating to Condition and Performance of Concrete Mixtures

• US 20170016874A1
• Filed: 07/20/2016
• Published: 01/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: QuipIP, LLC
• Original Assignee: QuipIP, LLC
• Inventors: RADJY, Farrokh F.
• Granted Patent: US 10,184,928 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 7/024 by measuring properties of the mixture, e.g. moisture, electrical resistivity, density
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/383 Concrete, cement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A measuring device is embedded in a section of concrete at a location at a construction site, the measuring device being adapted to obtain a measurement of a first characteristic of the section of concrete and transmit the measurement via wireless transmission. The first characteristic may include temperature, humidity, conductivity, impedance, salinity, etc. A local wireless gateway receives the measurement data and transmits the data to a processor. Alternatively, an airborne drone flying above the construction site receives the measurement data and transmits the data to the processor. The processor generates a predicted second characteristic of the section of concrete based on the measurement data. For example, the second characteristic may include strength, slump, age, maturity, etc., of the concrete.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a structure comprising a concrete mixture;

a plurality of measuring devices embedded at respective locations in the concrete mixture, each measuring device comprising;

a shell comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being detachably connected to the second portion, the first and second portions defining an enclosed volume;

wherein the enclosed volume comprises;

a sensor device including one of a temperature sensor adapted to generate a temperature measurement, a salinity sensor adapted to generate a salinity measurement, a conductivity sensor adapted to generate a conductivity measurement, an impedance sensor adapted to generate an impedance measurement, and a humidity sensor adapted to generate a humidity measurement; and

an antenna adapted to transmit data representing at least one of the temperature measurement, the salinity measurement, the conductivity measurement, the impedance measurement, and the humidity measurement; and

a processor adapted to;

receive from each respective measuring device embedded in the concrete mixture data pertaining to the concrete mixture; and

determine one or more characteristics of the concrete mixture based on the data received.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor device further includes a salinity sensor adapted to generate a salinity measurement.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the salinity sensor comprises a chloride ion electrode.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first portion has a semispherical shape and the second portion does not have a semispherical shape.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first portion has a diameter between 2 inches and 3 inches.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics of the concrete mixture comprise one of slump, strength, curing age, and maturity.

7. A communication system comprising:

a concrete mixing truck comprising a drum adapted to hold a concrete mixture;

at least one sensing device disposed inside the drum of the concrete mixing truck, the at least one sensing device being adapted to generate data relating to the concrete mixture, and to transmit a signal comprising the data;

an antenna device disposed on the drum, the antenna device comprising;

a receiver component adapted to receive the signal from the at least one device located in the concrete mixture inside the drum; and

a transmitter component adapted to retransmit the signal outside the drum; and

a communication device adapted to receive the signal retransmitted by the transmitter component of the antenna device and transmit the signal via an Internet to a second device.

8. The communication system of claim 7, wherein the antenna device comprises a Bluetooth antenna device.

9. The communication system of claim 7, wherein the sensing device includes one of a temperature sensor adapted to generate a temperature measurement, a salinity sensor adapted to generate a salinity measurement, a conductivity sensor adapted to generate a conductivity measurement, an impedance sensor adapted to generate an impedance measurement, and a humidity sensor adapted to generate a humidity measurement.

10. A method comprising:

embedding a measuring device in a section of concrete at a location at a construction site, the measuring device being adapted to obtain a measurement of a first characteristic of the section of concrete and transmit the measurement via wireless transmission;

flying an airborne drone above the construction site, the airborne drone comprising a wireless receiver and a wireless transmitter;

receiving, by the airborne drone, data representing the measurement;

transmitting, by the airborne drone, the data representing the measurement, to a processor; and

generating, by the processor, a predicted second characteristic of the section of concrete based on the measurement.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

embedding a second measuring device in a second section of concrete at a second location at a construction site, the second measuring device being adapted to obtain a second measurement of a second characteristic of a the second section of concrete and transmit the second measurement via wireless transmission;

receiving, by the airborne drone, data representing the second measurement;

transmitting, by the airborne drone, the data representing the second measurement, to the processor; and

generating, by the processor, a predicted third characteristic of the second section of concrete based on the second measurement.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

placing the measuring device in concrete at a production facility prior to transport of the concrete to the construction site.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

placing the measuring device in the section of concrete after the concrete has been laid at the construction site.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first characteristic comprises one of a temperature, a salinity, a humidity, an acceleration, a pH level, an inductance, a conductivity, an impedance, a resistivity, a pressure, an elevation, a location, and a motion.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the second characteristic comprises one of a strength, a setting behavior, a slump, an age, and a maturity.

16. A system comprising:

a plurality of concrete structures;

a plurality of measuring devices embedded in the plurality of concrete structures, each measuring device comprising;

a sensor adapted to obtain a measurement of a respective characteristic of a respective section of concrete; and

an antenna adapted to transmit the data representing the measurement via wireless transmission; and

a drone device adapted to fly in the atmosphere above the plurality of concrete structures, the drone device comprising;

a communication device adapted to receive data from the plurality of measuring devices and transmit the data wirelessly to a second device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein each measuring device comprises one of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a salinity sensor, an accelerometer, a pH sensor, an inductance sensor, a conductivity sensor, an impedance or resistivity sensor, a sonic sensor, a pressure sensor, an elevation sensor, a GPS-based location sensor, and a motion sensor.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the sensor is adapted to obtain a measurement of one of a temperature, a salinity, a humidity, an acceleration, a pH level, an inductance, a conductivity, an impedance, a resistivity, a pressure, an elevation, a location, and a motion.

19. A system comprising:

at least one memory storing computer program instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the computer program instructions which, when executed on the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising;

obtaining, from a device disposed in a drum of a concrete mixing truck, a measurement of a first characteristic of a concrete mixture, while the device and the concrete mixture are in the drum of the concrete mixing truck;

determining a value of a second characteristic of the concrete mixture based on the measurement; and

causing a communication device to display a representation of the value of the second characteristic on a display device.

20. A method of managing information, the method comprising:

obtaining, from a device disposed in a drum of a concrete mixing truck, a measurement of a first characteristic of a concrete mixture, while the device and the concrete mixture are in the drum of the concrete mixing truck;

determining a value of a second characteristic of the concrete mixture based on the measurement; and

causing a communication device to display a representation of the value of the second characteristic on a display device.

21. A system comprising:

a first device disposed inside of a drum of a concrete mixing truck;

the first device adapted to;

obtain a measurement of a first characteristic of a concrete mixture disposed in the drum of the mixing truck, while the concrete mixture and the first device are in the drum of the concrete mixing truck; and

transmit information representing the measurement; and

a processing device adapted to;

receive the information representing the measurement;

determine a value of a second characteristic of the concrete mixture based on the measurement; and

cause a second device to display a representation of the value of the second characteristic.

22. A device comprising:

a shell comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having a hemispherical shape, the second portion having a non-hemispherical shape, the first and second portions defining an enclosed volume;

wherein the enclosed volume comprises;

a sensor device including one of a temperature sensor adapted to generate a temperature measurement, a salinity sensor adapted to generate a salinity measurement, a conductivity sensor adapted to generate a conductivity measurement, an impedance sensor adapted to generate an impedance measurement, and a humidity sensor adapted to generate a humidity measurement;

an antenna adapted to transmit data representing at least one of the temperature measurement, the salinity measurement, the conductivity measurement, the impedance measurement, and the humidity measurement; and

a weight disposed in an end of the first portion, wherein a density of the device is between 1.0 and 1.4 grams per cubic centimeters, preferably 1.2 grams per cubic centimeters.