Development of fiber Bragg grating sensors for monitoring civil infrastructure

The concept of structural health monitoring has been the subject of research over the last few years, particularly in civil and structural engineering where ageing infrastructure is of major concern. These studies have led to initiatives towards the development and deployment of new sensing technologies. Owing to the harsh environments found in the construction industry, and the large size of civil engineering structures, such sensors should be robust, rugged, easy to use and economical. Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors offer a viable such sensing approach with a number of advantages over traditional sensors. These include immunity to electromagnetic interference, light weight, small size, multiplexing capabilities, ease of installation and durability. This paper reports some results from a multi-disciplinary research program on FBG sensors involving the School of Civil and Structural Engineering and the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Novel FBG strain sensors have been developed and deployed on highway bridges to measure dynamic strain, static strain, and temperature. Results of these studies indicate that, if properly packaged, FBG sensors can survive the severe conditions associated with the construction environments of civil infrastructure.