Multi-Functional Self-Sensing Electronic Gasket for Structural Health Monitoring of Transportation Pipelines

In advancing "smart city" initiatives, multi-functional sensing devices are crucial for the structural health monitoring (SHM) of key infrastructures. This study presents a self-sensing sealing electronic gasket (e-gasket) featuring multi-modal interdigitated-electrode-based sensors for underground pipeline damage assessments, via simultaneously detected distribution information of contact pressure and relative humidity (RH). Detecting performance is enhanced through functional surface coatings and optimized pore size of the porous foam layer. An equivalent decoupling model for precise detection is established by analyzing the electrical responses of capacitance and impedance, and a rough estimation method relying on relative response is investigated to reduce the energy consumption and enhance monitoring efficiency. It demonstrates excellent multi-modal sensing capabilities, repeatability, and stability over the long term. Experimental results verify the effectiveness in condition detection, fault classification, damage severity assessment, and early warning functions of the e-gasket, enabling comprehensive SHM.