Advantages and Disadvantages of Moisture Probes for the Construction Industry

Moisture probes must meet diverse requirements for the deployment in sand, gravel, and fresh concrete within the construction industry.
The accordance with norm-conformity at the production of ready-mixed concrete, SCC and other types of concrete is increasingly gaining
in significance. Hereby, the concrete expert is frequently confronted with the question, if and how these requirements can be met. The
following elaborations represent an article addressing the advantages of moisture probes based on the TDR radar technology.
Author: Kurt Koehler, Managing Director of the IMKO GmbH

The extreme ambient conditions in the construction industry are

demanding consistently higher to the measuring technology. With the
achievement of an accuracy of 1 picoseconds at the measurement of
the radar run-time, it was subsequently possible to deploy radar probes
within the construction industry. The TDR measurement principle (TimeDomain-Reflectometry, also referred to as cable radar) has managed

to increasingly assert itself for demanding applications as a new and

precise measurement method within the industrial sector. At the TDR
method, the dielectricity constant of an electro-magnetic impulse, and
consequently the moisture, is determined via the run-time (time domain
reflectometry).

Why is it so important to measure the moisture in sand, gravel,

fresh concrete, and other materials very precisely, i.e. with
accuracies of at least 0.3%, respectively 0.1%?
The following simple exemplary calculation intends to illustrate the
connection between %-moisture values delivered by a moisture probe
which features errors and the respectively connected effects upon the
w/c value:
The example applies to 1 m3 of ready mixed concrete consisting of:

Aggregates
Sand
Gravel (2..16)

: 1850kg in total
: 700kg
: 1150kg

Cement
Water content
(nominal value)
Nominal w/c-value

: 320kg
: 176 Litres
: 0.55

At a medium moisture content of 5% in the aggregates, this results in

a water content in the aggregates of 97 litres. At a nominal/target value
of 176 litres per m3, this would result in 79 litres which would have to be
added to obtain a correct w/c nominal value of 0.55 at a cement content
of 320 kg.
If a moisture probe measures at an error rate of 1.5% absolute, this
would result in significant deviations at the w/c content. In the event of
a deviation of the moisture measurement value in downward direction,
one would be issued a w/c value of 0.64, and 0.45 in case of a deviation
in upward direction (remark: this would naturally be noticed immediately
and according measures would be taken). At an error rate of the probe of
0.3% (6 litres/m3), depending on the demands made to the concrete,
this could result in still acceptable deviations of the w/c value of 0.02, i.e.
the final w/c value would either be 0.57 or 0.53.
An error rate of 1.5% of a moisture probe is equivalent to a difference of
30 litres at the water content in sand and gravel, which would considerably
influence the w/c value and the Exposition Class. A moisture probe must
at least feature an accuracy of 0.3%, preferably even 0.1%.
The cause and how easily measurement errors of 1.5% in a moisture
probe can be generated is depicted in this article.

The water quantity of a measurement error of +-1.5% of a moisture probe accords to +-30 litres at 1m3 fresh concrete.
The water quantity of a measurement error of 1.5% of a moisture probe
accords to 30 litres at 1m3 fresh concrete.
A further issue is, if it is sufficient to merely measure the moisture in
the sand but not in the gravel?
The 30 litres mentioned in the example above would also be contained,
e.g. in the additional charge of 1150 kg gravel, if the same would feature a
moisture content of merely 2.5%.
This means that the moisture content of larger quantities of
aggregates should also be measured precisely and on a long term
stable basis in order to ensure for sufficient product quality.

Some special concretes, e.g. SCC contain special additives. They

should be mixed with accuracies of 1.5 litres per m3 in order to
obtain the demanded qualities.
In order to be able to measure precisely with an accuracy of 0.1% at
these conditions and the required expedition classes, a moisture probe
should meet four decisive requirements.
Remark: The aforementioned extreme ambient conditions have frequently
generated doubt in regard to the reliability of the measurement values
delivered by conventional moisture probes already shortly after installation.
The result was that the operators switched the plant from the automatic
mode to the manual operation mode.

What are the ambient conditions a moisture probe has to deal Four decisive requirements to moisture probes for the
within the construction industry?
construction industry:
If operated permanently, the probe is exposed to considerable
abrasion.

The measured media features differing grain sizes, from finest

particles, to sand, right up to gravel size 2-16/32.

The form of the grain may vary from round to crushed stone, grain
or split.

Both the probe and the measured media are exposed to significant
temperature variations.

Sand and gravel may contain pure water but also water with a high ion
content (e.g. recycled water or sand from areas close to the coast)

Special compositions my contain ratios of steel (steel fibre concrete)

Fresh concrete may feature a pore-water-conductivity of up to
50dS/m.

Materials such as lime sand feature significant adhesive properties.

1. Requirement: The probe must be able to precisely measure at

varying temperatures and varying ion ratios in the water. This means
that in the event of aggregates containing recycled water or sand
from coastal areas, the measurement value may not be falsified.
High and low temperatures during winter and summer operation,
e.g. in combination with exposure to steam, may not lead to faulty
measurements at a probe. At conventional aggregate probes so far,
even the slightest ion-contamination or higher temperature deviations can lead to significant measurement errors. In moist mixtures
with cement, conductivities up to 50dS/m can be generated and
demand a high level of precision of the probe technology. Due to
an ideal frequency band, SONO radar probes are not influenced by
increased conductivities in the water or temperature deviations. This
results in a high level of accuracy even under the harshest ambient
conditions.

2. Requirement: Long-Term Stability at Abrasion.

This requirement is of particular significance. What use is a moisture sensor, if it is only able to deliver precise/constant measurements for a short
period and delivers faulty values after only a few weeks of deployment?
Microwave and capacitance method

SONO Sensors

Different measurement field,

depending on the abrasion

Constant measurement field,

regardless of abrasion

dielectric
barrier
(sensorhead)
before abrasion

after abrasion

Moisture probes are usually equipped with a ceramic faceplate which may lead to errors in the %-range in the event
of abrasion. At the conventional moisture probes so far, the
measuring field lines had to pass through the ceramic plate
before entering the sand and gravel. Even the slightest abrasion lead to a change of the measuring field and, depending
on the moisture content, generate measuring errors in the
%-range.

before abrasion

after abrasion

At the SONO radar technology, an innovative probe design

featuring a centrally located conductor foil on the extremely
robust and stable ceramic cover ensures that the field line
strength does not change in spite of abrasion.
An auto-correction function in the SONO probes ensures
for consistent reliabilities and maintenance cycles. Only this
innovative invention made the long-term stable deployment of
SONO radar probes within the construction industry possible
in the first place.

3. Requirement: The reliable moisture

measurement at varying grain sizes.
Sand and gravel feature different grain sizes.
Moisture probes should not be influenced by
the particle size and form and the subsequently connected high-frequency stray. SONO
radar probes, in regard to the grain size distribution, do feature some interference which is
however insignificant, even at sands with finest
fractions. Microwave probes in comparison,
due to a high level of high-frequency stray,
feature a distinctive dependency in regard to
the particle size and form.
The SONO radar technology offers high
reliabilities at the measurement of sand and gravel, as differing grain sizes, in contrary to other measurement method, do not lead to a
falsification of the measurement results.
The calibration curve Cal1 Universal Calibration is suited for the measurement of the moisture in sand (finest grain sand), gravel, and gravel/sand
mixtures. The deviations of the six sand/gravel types presented below to the calibration curve Cal1 are so insignificant that the SONO Probe only
require the deployment of one calibration curve.

4. Requirement: The additional Determination of the Cement Content in a Mixture. The radar method deployed in the SONO probes, in addition to
the measurement of the moisture, also offers a completely novel method for the determination of the material composition in fresh concrete. The
novel mixer probe SONO-MIX delivers two parameters:
P1: Moisture Value
P2: Cement Value via the measurement of the RbC
(Radar-based-Conductivity)
Currently, there are investigations on how this
novel measuring method could be directly deployed during the mixing process itself, in order to
receive additional information regarding the w/c
value and the slope of the fresh concrete.

With the SONO probes, IMKO is presenting a new generation of moisture probes for the construction industry. Their secret: the deployment of most
modern radar technology.
The novel and innovative radar measuring method, at the SONO probes, in addition to the moisture value, also delivers a radar-based guide value
(RbC Radar based Conductivity). This value allows for important conclusions to further parameters of a material recipe, e.g. the cement content or
the slope of fresh concrete. Consequently, it represents a significant contribution to the prevention of cost-intensive quality errors.

Significant cost savings by using state-of-the-art SONO moisture probes!

For plant manufacturers and plant operators:
Elimination of errors, less waste, and lower costs with an optimum use of resources,
considerably less acquisition costs,
easier and quicker to put into operation,
reduced maintenance due to long-term stability without recalibrations,
also usable with recyclingwater,
high security by quality production according to standards

What enterprises from the concrete industry say:

Numerous enterprises from the concrete industry have in the mean time convinced themselves of the advantages of the SONO radar probes. One
of these is the company Peterbeton in Karlsruhe which, in regard to their plant control system, does not make any compromises. They are deploying
three SONO moisture probes for the precise measurement of the aggregates sand and gravel. As the plant director Herr Ktemeier confirms, Over the
years, we have tested a multitude of moisture sensors. Apart from the SONO probes, no other system has managed to really completely convince us.
The feature most astounding to us is the low maintenance expenditure. Whereas in former times we had to recalibrate the sensors every 10 days, we
can now fully concentrate on the important matters within our production.

Abb.: SONO-Probes are measuring the moisture on the discharge and on a conveyor belt.

Concluding Remark :
The general demands made to moisture sensors within the construction industry are very high. Faulty sensors can lead to cost-intensive non-normconform concrete. In times in which quality and reliability are consistently gaining in significance, new measurement technologies such as the SONO
radar measurement technology represent a decisive contribution to improve quality. Users should however also be clear in regard to the limitations of
the individual measuring methods in order to be able to identify possible disappointment in the forefront.

PRECISE MOISTURE MEASUREMENT

SONO Moisture Sensors for industrial Deployment
The sensors decisive lead is generated by the deployment of state-of-the-art TRIME-Radartechnology

www.imko.de

IMKO GmbH Im Stck 2 Germany-76275 Ettlingen Phone +49-(0)72 43-59 210 Fax +49-(0)72 43-59 21 40 e-mail INFO@IMKO.de www.IMKO.de