Construction material assessment method and systems

A method comprising:

• embedding a device within a construction material to generate data relating to a characteristic of the construction material;
• acquiring the generated data;
• and
• performing an assessment of the characteristic of the construction material in dependence upon the acquired generated data;
• wherein
• embedding the device comprises providing a sensor upon an inner surface of a drum forming part of a concrete truck which provides an output in dependence upon a conductivity of the surrounding medium in contact with the sensor;
• acquiring the generated data comprises:
• loading a construction material into the drum and rotating the drum during transportation of the construction material from a point of loading and a point of deployment;
• and
• monitoring the output of the sensor during rotation of the drum such that the device is embedded within the construction material during a portion of each rotation of the drum and within air during a remaining portion of each rotation of the drum;
• performing the assessment comprises establishing in dependence upon the monitored sensor output at least one of a number of rotations of the drum and the characteristic of the construction material within the drum;
• and
• the characteristic of the construction material is established from the monitored sensor output in dependence upon relationships established between the material property and one or more characteristics of the monitored sensor output established through computational fluid dynamic modeling of the construction material within the drum under rotation.

A method comprising:

• embedding a device within a construction material to generate data relating to a characteristic of the construction material;
• acquiring the generated data;
• and
• performing an assessment of the characteristic of the construction material in dependence upon the acquired generated data;
• wherein
• embedding the device comprises providing a body, a porous material disposed within a portion of the body, a control circuit disposed within the body, a first electrical contact coupled to the control circuit and the porous material at a first predetermined location, a second electrical contact coupled to the control circuit and the porous material at a second predetermined location where at least the portion of the device is embedded in the construction material such that a portion of the porous material is exposed to the construction material surrounding the portion of the device;
• acquiring the generated data comprises the control circuit measuring an electrical property of the porous material;
• performing the assessment comprises establishing the characteristic of the construction material in dependence upon the electrical property of the porous material;
• and
• the porous material within the portion of the body is fluidically connected to the exterior of the device.

A method comprising:

• embedding a device within a construction material to generate data relating to a characteristic of the construction material;
• acquiring the generated data;
• and
• performing an assessment of the characteristic of the construction material in dependence upon the acquired generated data;
• wherein
• embedding the device comprises:
• providing an embeddable body wherein the embeddable body comprises a cavity within a predetermined portion of an exterior of the embeddable body and a control circuit disposed within the embeddable body where the cavity is filled with the construction material when the device is embedded into the construction material;
• a first electrical transducer coupled to the control circuit and disposed at a first predetermined location within a first surface of the cavity;
• and
• a second electrical transducer coupled to the control circuit and disposed at a second predetermined location within a second surface of the cavity facing the first electrical transducer;
• acquiring the generated data comprises establishing an aspect of a signal transmitted by the first electrical transducer through the cavity to the second electrical transducer and thereby through the construction material filling the cavity;
• and
• performing the assessment comprises the control circuit determines the characteristic of the construction material surrounding the device when embedded in the construction material in dependence upon the aspect of the signal.