Civil engineers will value this resource that examines the tools and techniques used to estimate the in-place strength on concrete, permeation properties that relate to potential durability, and the methods used to assess the internal condition of concrete and the corrosion activity of steel reinforcement.

Different physical models for the Snoek-type relaxation in ternary systems (Fe-C-Me) are analyzed from the viewpoint of a distance of interatomic interaction taken into account: For non-saturated from the viewpoint of overlapping of interatomic interaction in b.c.c. alloys the physically sufficient and optimal for the computer simulation is the short-range model, which takes into account the interatomic interaction and the average amount of substitutional atoms in the first coordination shell, only. For high alloyed b.c.c. systems (i.e. with the overlapped interatomic interaction) the carbon atom undergoes an interaction of a few substitutional atoms simultaneously. That leads to the appearance of one broadened Snoek peak. Activation energy of such a peak is summed from the "elastic" and "chemical" interatomic interactions. Experimental results for alloys with b.c.c. solid solution structure and its computer simulations allow to introduce the new criterion for the high alloy state of monophase steels: the high alloyed state corresponds to the situation when substitutional atoms can not be considered any longer as the isolated atoms. From the viewpoint of mechanical spectroscopy this situation corresponds to the appearance of one broadened IF Snoek-type peak instead of two peaks existed for the steels with lower substitutional atom concentration.

This is a state-of-the-art report prepared by RILEM Technical Committee 116-PCD and is an authoritative, international review of the subject and is an essential reference source for engineers and technologists. Performance Criteria for Concrete Durability explains key aspects of concrete durability, and the relationships between transport mechanisms and concrete durability characteristics. It reviews test methods for measuring permeability in the laboratory and on site, and discusses the many factors which influence the durability of concrete to carbonation, chlorides, abrasion etc.

The papers published in these proceedings represent the latest developments in the nondestructive characterization of materials and were presented at the Eleventh International Symposium on Nondestructive Characterization of Materials held in June 2002, in Berlin, Germany.

Comprehensive resource detailing the latest advances in microwave and wireless sensors implemented in planar technology Planar Microwave Sensors is an authoritative resource on the subject, discussing the main relevant sensing strategies, working principles, and applications on the basis of the authors’ own experience and background, while also highlighting the most relevant contributions to the topic reported by international research groups. The authors provide an overview of planar microwave sensors grouped by chapters according to their working principle. In each chapter, the working principle is explained in detail and the specific sensor design strategies are discussed, including validation examples at both simulation and experimental level. The most suited applications in each case are also reported. The necessary theory and analysis for sensor design are further provided, with special emphasis on performance improvement (i.e., sensitivity and resolution optimization, dynamic range, etc.). Lastly, the work covers a number of applications, from material characterization to biosensing, including motion control sensors, microfluidic sensors, industrial sensors, and more. Sample topics covered in the work include: Non-resonant and resonant sensors, reflective-mode and transmission-mode sensors, single-ended and differential sensors, and contact and contactless sensors Design guidelines for sensor performance optimization and analytical methods to retrieve the variables of interest from the measured sensor responses Radiofrequency identification (RFID) sensor types, prospective applications, and materials/technologies towards “green sensors” implementation Comparisons between different technologies for sensing and the advantages and limitations of microwave sensors, particularly planar sensors Engineers and qualified professionals involved in sensor technologies, along with undergraduate and graduate students in related programs of study, can harness the valuable information inside Planar Microwave Sensors to gain complete foundational knowledge on the subject and stay up to date on the latest research and developments in the field.