EMBEDDED FIBRE BRAGG GRATING SENSORS FOR MONITORING THE HEALTH OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES

Creation of a new generation of structures capable of continuous real-time monitoring of their own structural behavior will be a major advancement in structural engineering. The research presented herein lays the groundwork for monitoring the behavior of concrete structures using fibre Bragg grating sensors. To demonstrate the viability of using embedded as well as surface mounted fibre Bragg grating sensors to monitor the behavior of concrete structures, an experimental research program was carried on full-scale concrete beams. An opto-mechanical system was employed for monitoring the structural behavior of the test specimens. It consisted of four primary components: a light source and circuitry, optical fibre with Brag grating sensor, a light detector and circuitry, and an optimum spectrum analyzer. The bending deformations along with other structural parameters such as strains in the main tension reinforcement, external strains at critical locations and the flexural stiffness of the beams were investigated by four-point loading tests on the specimens embedded with SMF-28 type optical Bragg sensors along with conventional electrical and mechanical sensing guages. Good bonding of the sensor to the structure was shown to be imperative for maximum transfer of load-induced strains. The results shows that the readings obtained from Fibre Bragg grating sensors are consistent with those obtained from conventional measuring methods and thus can be effectively used in the health monitoring of concrete structures.

• INTRODUCTION

• LITERATURE REVIEW

• FIBRE BRAGG GRATING SYSTEM

• EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMME

• DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

• CONCLUSIONS

• REFERENCES