Experimental Study of Embedded Fiber‐Optic Strain Gauges in Concrete Structures

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Abstract
Embedded fiber‐optic sensors have the potential of providing valuable information about the condition of the host structure when these sensors are used within an integrated health‐monitoring network attached to the structure. Although such sensors have been developed during the past 15 years for initial specialized applications in aerospace, hydrospace, and biomedical systems, recent attention has been given to the transitioning of these methods to the evaluation of civil structures. This paper reviews the state of the art of the application of fiber‐optic sensors in the structural mechanics field and reports some of the results of an experimental study concerned with the use of embedded short‐gauge‐length optical‐fiber sensors for the quantitative measurement of strain in reinforced concrete structures. Assessment of the validity of the measurements was accomplished through direct comparison between the performance of these sensors and collocated foil strain gauges. Pairs of fiber sensor elements and ref...