Cementitious sheathing panel with moisture sensor and system and method for detecting moisture within structure
AssigneeUnited States Gypsum Company
InventorsAjith M. Rao, Suman Sinha Ray, Derrick Hutchinson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of a system and a method for detecting moisture within a structure can use a cementitious panel including a moisture sensor. The moisture sensor can comprise a moisture-sensing, passive RFID tag. A reader can be used to periodically interrogate the RFID moisture-sensing tag to determine whether the RFID moisture-sensing tag has been subjected to moisture. Systems and methods for detecting moisture within a structure can use at least one such cementitious panel in a structural assembly, such as a roof assembly, for example, to help detect a leak in the roof assembly through periodic monitoring of the installed cementitious panel(s).
Claims19
A cementitious panel comprising:
- a cementitious core;
- a pair of cover sheets, the cementitious core interposed between the pair of cover sheets;
- a moisture sensor, the moisture sensor mounted to one of the pair of cover sheets, wherein the moisture sensor comprises a moisture-sensing passive ultrahigh-frequency RFID tag, the RFID tag including a body housing a liquid-sensing portion and a substrate made from a material that has a liquid-wicking property such that the substrate conveys liquid contacting the substrate toward the liquid-sensing portion of the body.
A moisture detection system for a structure, the system comprising:
- a cementitious panel, the cementitious panel including a cementitious core, a pair of cover sheets, and a moisture sensor, the cementitious core interposed between the pair of cover sheets, and the moisture sensor mounted to one of the pair of cover sheets, wherein the moisture sensor comprises a moisture-sensing, passive ultrahigh-frequency RFID tag having an antenna adapted to receive and transmit a signal, the passive RFID tag configured to transmit a moisture value corresponding to an amount of moisture to which the passive RFID tag has been subjected, wherein the RFID tag includes a body housing a liquid-sensing portion and a substrate made from a material that has a liquid-wicking property such that the substrate conveys liquid contacting the substrate to the liquid-sensing portion of the body;
- an RFID reader, the RFID reader configured to selectively interrogate the RFID tag to receive the moisture value from the RFID tag;
- a non-transitory, computer-readable medium, the non-transitory, computer-readable medium bearing a moisture detection program;
- a processor, the processor in operable arrangement with the RFID reader to receive the moisture value therefrom and in operable arrangement with the non-transitory, computer-readable medium, the processor configured to execute the moisture detection program contained on the non-transitory, computer-readable medium;
- wherein the moisture detection program includes a moisture analysis module configured to analyze the moisture value transmitted by the RFID tag to calculate a moisture level to which the RFID tag has been subjected.
A method of detecting moisture within a structure, the method comprising:
- placing an RFID reader in proximity to a cementitious panel in a structural assembly of the structure, the cementitious panel including a cementitious core, a pair of cover sheets, and a moisture sensor, the cementitious core interposed between the pair of cover sheets, and the moisture sensor mounted to one of the pair of cover sheets, wherein the moisture sensor comprises a moisture-sensing, passive ultrahigh-frequency RFID tag, wherein the RFID tag includes a body housing a liquid-sensing portion and a substrate made from a material that has a liquid-wicking property such that the substrate conveys liquid contacting the substrate toward the liquid-sensing portion of the body;
- interrogating, using the RFID reader, the RFID tag such that the RFID tag transmits a moisture value corresponding to an amount of moisture to which the RFID tag has been subjected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.