Today’s construction industry demands accurate, real-time concrete strength measurement and concrete temperature monitoring to ensure structural integrity and safety while optimizing construction schedules and cost efficiencies. REBEL® delivers both.
Unlike all other testing methods, our concrete strength sensors provide the only non destructive concrete testing solution in the world that can directly measure in-place concrete strength in real time, the development of a maturity curve, or any reliance on specific concrete mix design assumptions. If a concrete mix needs to be changed mid-project, no problem – our smart concrete sensors remain unaffected by changes to concrete mix design, offering consistent concrete quality control and flexibility.
REBEL Concrete Strength and Temperature Sensing
System
The world’s first-ever completely BREAK FREE®, real-time, in-place concrete strength and concrete temperature sensing solution.
The REBEL Concrete Strength and Temperature Sensing System includes:
- (1) REBEL Echo Concrete Strength Sensor
- (1) REBEL Sentry Data Logger (reusable, rechargeable)
- (1) REBEL Sentry Data Logger Cradle Charger
- Wavelogix Dashboard Access for comprehensive Concrete Monitoring and Concrete Quality Control throughout your project
- Now AASHTO T-412 Compliant: Learn More
REBEL Kits – Scalable Solutions for Your Project Needs
Wavelogix offers several REBEL kits tailored to meet the unique requirements of your project, whether you’re a DOT, General Contractor, Preform & Prestress Manufacturer, Redi Mix or Testing Agency. Our kits provide real-time concrete strength and temperature monitoring to enhance efficiency and quality control on your job site.
Each kit includes essential components such as:
- REBEL Echo Concrete Strength Sensors for real-time concrete strength measurements
- REBEL Sentry Data Loggers (reusable, rechargeable) for seamless concrete monitoring
- REBEL Sentry Data Logger Cradle Chargers
- A durable kit case for organized equipment storage
- Wavelogix Dashboard Access for streamlined concrete quality control and project management
Current concrete strength testing methods can be expensive and time-consuming, relying on small samples from much larger concrete structures or assumptions about concrete mixtures and reference calibrations.
Direct costs associated with destructive concrete testing can range from $4 to $12 per cubic yard of concrete per testing party, depending on the number of samples taken and whether third-party labs are used. This figure does not account for the indirect costs related to inaccuracies, inefficiencies, and waste linked to traditional testing methods, highlighting the need for innovative solutions like non-destructive concrete testing and real-time concrete strength measurement.
Destructive Concrete Strength Testing
The industry standard for testing concrete strength involves breaking multiple field-cured concrete samples (cylinders or beams). This practice has remained largely unchanged since the early 19th century.
There are numerous disadvantages associated with destructive concrete testing, including inaccuracies, quality control issues, inter-user variability, time inefficiencies, labor intensiveness, material waste, and expense. Despite these drawbacks, destructive strength testing is often seen as “the way it’s always been done”, underscoring the need for more effective alternatives like non-destructive concrete testing and innovative concrete strength sensors.
Maturity Testing
Although concrete maturity testing, like the Wavelogix’s REBEL System, allows for real-time concrete strength monitoring, it still requires making and breaking concrete samples and the lab development of a maturity curve for each concrete mix used on a job. This testing and calibration can cost several thousand dollars and can take weeks. Such an approach is not feasible when concrete mixes need to be changed mid-stream during a project, which is a common occurrence. Additionally, maturity testing relies solely on temperature to estimate concrete strength without considering hydration or other environmental factors. This limitation renders maturity testing irrelevant for acceptance testing at 28 days or any time point beyond 3 days, when temperature fluctuations are occurring.
OUR BREAK-FREE APPROACH
Our REBEL Concrete Strength and Temperature Sensing System is unique compared to all other concrete strength testing and monitoring methods and technologies in that it uses piezoelectric sensors coupled with electromechanical impedance (EMI) analysis to deliver a cutting edge solution to a century-old problem.
How It Works
Wavelogix’s REBEL concrete strength sensors are incredibly easy to install and operate. Much like concrete maturity sensors, each sensor is placed within the concrete formwork and embedded in freshly poured concrete. REBEL then collects, in real-time, concrete strength data that is wirelessly transmitted back to the end-user, similar to concrete maturity sensor applications.
1
INSTALL SENSOR TO GET STARTED
Simply lay the REBEL sensor on the ground of the concrete formwork or secure the sensor to rebar reinforcements with zip ties, then cover it with concrete.
2
CONNECT SENSOR CABLE TO DATALOGGER
Plug the REBEL sensor cable into the reusable, auto-start datalogger for seamless data transmission.
3
MONITOR REAL-TIME CONCRETE STRENGTH RESULTS
Directly measure and monitor real-time changes in concrete strength 24/7 at your fingertips – using your cell phone, tablet, or other device of choice – for as long as strength data is required (up to 28 days and beyond).
The Rebel Difference
Our concrete strength sensors convert the mechanical properties of concrete into electrical signals, providing highly accurate and real-time information regarding in-place concrete strength. This data is essential for determining optimal timing for traffic opening, pulling post-tensioning tendons, and striking vertical formwork. Unlike traditional methods, our system eliminates the need for creating maturity curves or other calibrations, and it remains unaffected by concrete mixtures, weather conditions, or any changes in those mixtures or conditions throughout the course of a project.
REBEL
- No Maturity Curves
- No Cylinder Breaks
- Mix Design Independent
- Direct Measurment
- Real-time Data
- Long-term Monitoring
- AASHTO T-412 Compliant
Destructive Testing
- No Maturity Curves
- Mix Design Independent
Maturity Sensors
- Direct Measurment
- Real-time Data
Frequently Asked Questions
REBEL® is a sensor you place in the concrete before the pour. It measures actual in-place strength as the concrete cures and sends continuous readings to a dashboard that can be viewed on any device. It starts from the first hour, no lab required.
Maturity sensors estimate strength from temperature history using a pre-built calibration curve. REBEL® directly measures the mechanical properties of the concrete itself, so no calibration curve is needed. If your mix changes mid-project, REBEL® keeps working. A maturity sensor requires a new curve.
REBEL® gives you real-time in-place strength data that cylinders cannot provide, and it tracks closely with core sample results. Whether it fully replaces cylinders depends on your project specs and state DOT requirements.
REBEL® is used on highway paving, bridge decks, road patching, precast manufacturing, tilt-up panels, post-tensioned structures, and data center construction. It has been tested by 32 state DOTs and is used by general contractors, municipalities, ready mix producers, and precast manufacturers.
The cost comparison depends on your project size, testing requirements, and the services provided by your testing laboratory. In many applications, REBEL® can reduce direct testing costs while providing significantly more data than traditional cylinder testing.
For example, on a 600-cubic-yard concrete placement, a typical cylinder testing program may require 36 cylinders (six sets of six cylinders). At an estimated $25 per cylinder, testing costs are approximately $900, excluding technician time, travel, and reporting.
The same placement can often be monitored with three REBEL® sensors for approximately $600, while also delivering benefits that cylinder testing cannot provide, including:
- Real-time, in-place concrete strength rather than laboratory estimates.
- 24/7 access to live data and reporting through the REBEL Dashboard.
- Predictive strength forecasting to help plan finishing, form removal, and opening to traffic.
- Continuous temperature monitoring throughout the curing process.
- Faster decision-making that can reduce project delays, accelerate contractor payment, and improve overall project efficiency.
Because every project is different, we’d be happy to help estimate the most cost-effective testing approach for your specific application.