Performance analysis of piezoelectric-based energy harvesting in reinforced concrete buildings under seismic and live loads

The demand for autonomous energy solutions in seismic regions is increasing for the uninterrupted operation of structural health monitoring systems. In this context, energy harvesting systems offer a solution for low-power devices, especially in earthquake zones where external energy sources may be interrupted. This study evaluates the energy harvesting capacity of a piezoelectric energy harvesting mechanism placed at specific locations in the columns of a reinforced concrete structure, considering both earthquake and live load conditions. A smart building model is developed by placing sensor modules with piezoelectric material on the columns of a three-story reinforced concrete building. The finite element model of the smart building, which is formed by integrating various technologies and sensors, is created in ANSYS, and specific locations on the columns are selected as sensor points. Dynamic analyses are performed under earthquake conditions by considering seismic records from the Imperial Valley, Erzincan, and Darfield earthquakes. Experimental results of a smart structure with patched piezoelectric material are used to verify the simulation results. The voltage, current, and power responses obtained from the sensor points are examined with the payload effect placed at the end point of the sensor module. When the power values collected from the sensor points are compared, it can be said that the maximum power obtained from the smart building under both earthquake and live load is 0.355 W, while the minimum power value reaches 0.168 W. The results show that the energy harvesting mechanism can provide external power to support electronic devices in regions where earthquake effects are frequent and high. Thus, this study presents an innovative contribution to smart building systems by investigating the energy harvesting potential under earthquake and live loads in a reinforced concrete structure equipped with piezoelectric sensors. The model, validated with numerical and experimental analyses, proposes a sustainable energy source for structural health monitoring systems in seismic regions.