Fiber-optic Bragg grating sensors for bridge monitoring

Fiber-optic Bragg grating strain sensors hold a great deal of potential for structural monitoring because of their exceptional stability and demonstrated potential for long-term monitoring. This sensing technology takes advantage of a spectrally encoded signal which provides inherent immunity from signal intensity fluctuations which plague many other fiber-optic and electronic sensing techniques. This results in measurement stability and lead/interconnect insensitivity which permit long-term and intermittent monitoring with high resolution and accuracy. Fiber-optic grating sensors are intrinsic to the optical fiber thus capitalizing on its extremely small size and inherent strength and durability. Recent results are provided from a sensor array installed in a road bridge. The strain sensors are attached to both steel and carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic prestressing tendons, which are embedded in the precast girders of the bridge. Measurements of traffic loads and the relaxation behaviour of the tendons are presented. The potential of fiber grating technology is briefly discussed including its application in long-gage strain-sensing and strain-distribution measurements. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Limited.