Experimentally Validated Analytical Solutions to Homogeneous Problems of Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) on Rectangular Cement-Based Materials

Abstract

Diagnostic technologies using X-rays and/or acoustic emissions for concrete infrastructures containing internal pores, defects, and cracks have attracted considerable interest. However, computerized tomography (CT) for concrete is challenging due to its radiation shielding characteristics. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT), initially developed for medical use, has recently shown a potential for developing a macro-CT technique for concrete structures. This study derived EIT analytical solutions for rectangular cement-based samples and validated them with experimental data obtained from cubic mortar samples. The experimental validation of the three mathematical functions (Dirac delta, Heaviside step, and Gaussian) used as current injection models, the Gaussian function produced the lowest relative absolute error (4.02%). This study also explored appropriate experimental setups for cement-based materials, such as Shunt model, current flow paths, and potential distribution.