Desenvolvimento prototípico de uma estufa para ensaio de carbonatação acelerada em corpos de prova de concreto

Abstract

This study presents the development of a prototype chamber with automated temperature and humidity control, designed for accelerated carbonation tests on concrete specimens. Carbonation is one of the main mechanisms of deterioration in reinforced concrete structures, characterized by the reduction of the pH in cementitious compounds, which compromises the integrity of metal reinforcements. As a naturally slow process, accelerated methods are necessary to enable effective investigation in laboratory settings. The proposed chamber uses an ESP32 microcontroller to manage sensors and actuators responsible for regulating environmental variables, adopting PID controllers to achieve stabilization. The methodology included mathematical modeling of the system via step response, derivation of transfer functions for the plants involved, and controller tuning, considering factors such as stability, settling time, and steady-state error. Experimental results validated the prototype, demonstrating strong stability and adequate performance within the desired operational ranges. The implemented architecture proved to be efficient, cost-effective, and potentially scalable. This system offers a practical solution for carbonation testing and can be further improved with additional mechanisms for CO₂ regulation and dehumidification.