Piezoelectric Materials in Civil Engineering Applications: A Review

Abstract

This review presents the important applications of piezoelectric materials in civil engineering in recent years. Studies on the development of smart construction structures have been carried out by using materials such as piezoelectric materials around the world. Piezoelectric materials have attracted attention in many civil engineering applications, as a result of their capability of generating electrical power when subjected to a mechanical stress, or of generating mechanical stress when subjected to an electric field. In civil engineering applications, piezoelectric materials are used in energy harvesting not only in superstructures but also in substructures, control strategies, the creation of composite materials with cement mortar, and structural health monitoring systems. With this perspective, the civil engineering applications of the piezoelectric materials were reviewed and discussed, especially for their general properties and effectiveness. At the end, suggestions were made for future studies using piezoelectric materials.