In 2021, Wavelogix partnered with INDOT and Purdue University to enhance road and bridge...
October 7, 2025 — Executive Q&A: Real-Time Concrete Strength & Insights
Civil engineers across the Midwest and beyond joined Wavelogix’s recent webinar to address a century-old challenge: how to reliably know when concrete is truly ready. Hosted by Dr. Luna Lu, Wavelogix Founder and CTO, and Joe Turek, CEO, the session explored the limitations of cylinder breaks and introduced a clear, actionable roadmap for adopting REBEL® Concrete Strength Sensing System.
“Our goal is to empower engineers with decision-grade data — accurate, actionable, and defensible — so you can move beyond guesswork and legacy testing,” Dr. Lu told attendees.
Why Engineers Are Rethinking Cylinder Breaks
For decades, cylinder breaks have been the default test method. But as Dr. Lu and Turek highlighted, that approach no longer aligns with today’s project demands:
- Slow & reactive: Waiting days or weeks for 7-day and 28-day breaks delays schedules and adds risk.
- Field disconnect: Cylinders don’t replicate in-place conditions; moisture, curing, and temperature variations create uncertainty.
- Hidden cost: Overdesign and schedule padding drive up expenses to hedge against test variability.
“Cylinder breaks are not giving you the real story of your concrete,” Dr. Lu explained. “They’re proxies — but your project lives in the field, not the lab."
Enter REBEL®: Real-Time, In-Place Strength Monitoring
Wavelogix has engineered a sensor system that integrates directly into pours to measure actual strength development:
- Calibration-free: No need to generate maturity curves — the REBEL algorithm adapts automatically to your mix and environment.
- Reliable & standards-based: Fully compliant with AASHTO T-412 and DOT specifications.
- Real-time dashboards: Live access to in-place data so engineers can strip forms, open traffic, or ship precast sooner — with confidence.
- ROI-focused: Reduces field testing, accelerates schedules, and cuts material overdesign.
Joe Turek shared how this approach is reshaping risk management:
“REBEL reduces schedule uncertainty. With true in-place data, you can make earlier, safer calls and document every decision for compliance and owner review."
How to Build an Effective Pilot Program — The Six-Step Roadmap
One of the most actionable parts of the webinar was a clear roadmap for piloting REBEL, making adoption low risk and high impact.
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Define Pilot Scope
Select a manageable, representative pour — a bridge deck, pavement section, or precast element. Set success metrics: time to strength vs. cylinders, schedule acceleration, cost avoidance, compliance with AASHTO/ASTM standards. -
Build the Core Pilot Team
- Technical Champion: QC manager or materials engineer who owns test data.
- Field Implementers: Crew leads or inspectors to install sensors and log pours.
- Decision Makers: Project managers, DOT reviewers, or leadership concerned with schedule, compliance, and ROI.
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Train & Deploy
Use Wavelogix onboarding to place sensors, activate loggers, and navigate dashboards. Run cylinders in parallel to validate accuracy and build team trust. -
Analyze & Present Results
Compile strength gain curves, compare REBEL data to cylinder breaks, and quantify time saved. Document risk avoided and ROI with real visuals from the dashboard. -
Drive Consensus & Scale
Share pilot results with internal stakeholders, tie data to specs and compliance requirements, and plan how to expand across more projects with fewer cylinders. -
Leverage Wavelogix Support
Access onboarding, ROI calculators, case studies, and spec language to accelerate adoption and approvals.
“Start small, prove the data, and let the results speak,” Dr. Lu advised. “When your pilot saves days and dollars, your team will want to scale."
Why Now Is the Moment to Shift
- DOT alignment: Agencies are increasingly open to maturity-based systems and digital QA/QC documentation.
- Project complexity & speed: Infrastructure upgrades and fast-track schedules demand data-driven decisions.
- Proven technology: REBEL has been validated across highways, precast plants, and RCC paving applications.
Joe Turek summarized the opportunity:
“This is about de-risking decisions while saving time and money. The sooner you test it, the sooner your team experiences the benefit."
Call to Action — Pilot REBEL and Lead the Change
The message from the webinar was clear: the path away from cylinder breaks isn’t theoretical — it’s happening now, and the first step is a pilot.
Wavelogix offers direct support to help engineers plan and execute pilots, interpret data, and align with specs and DOT compliance.
👉 Start your pilot program now: wavelogix.tech
