Implementation of long gauge fiber optic sensor arrays in civil structures

Abstract

Civil structures have large dimensions, composed of diverse materials, and the construction environment is generally hostile. These issues, in turn, pose challenges to design and deployment of sensors for structural health monitoring. While optical fiber sensors provide superior sensing capabilities, their attributes remain ineffective if they are not properly designed considering the civil engineering applications. Design of proper sensors require considerations to measurements of interest, i.e. cracks, strains, displacements, coverage of all critical sensing locations, survivability during installation, and reliability of measurements. To address some of these issues, this article focuses on the applications of long gauge interferometric sensors, multiplexing strategies, and installation issues during construction of civil structures. © 2005 Springer.