• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.405-423
• /
• 2016

In this study, the feasibility of using telecommunication single-mode optical fiber (SMF) as a distributed fiber optic strain and crack sensor was evaluated in concrete pavement monitoring. Tensile tests on various sensors indicated that the $SMF-28e^+$ fiber revealed linear elastic behavior to rupture at approximately 26 N load and 2.6% strain. Six full-scale concrete panels were prepared and tested under truck and three-point loads to quantify the performance of sensors with pulse pre-pump Brillouin optical time domain analysis (PPP-BOTDA). The sensors were protected by precast mortar from brutal action during concrete casting. Once air-cured for 2 hours after initial setting, half a mortar cylinder of 12 mm in diameter ensured that the protected sensors remained functional during and after concrete casting. The strains measured from PPP-BOTDA with a sensitivity coefficient of $5.43{\times}10^{-5}GHz/{\mu}{\varepsilon}$ were validated locally by commercial fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. Unlike the point FBG sensors, the distributed PPP-BOTDA sensors can be utilized to effectively locate multiple cracks. Depending on their layout, the distributed sensors can provide one- or two-dimensional strain fields in pavement panels. The width of both micro and major cracks can be linearly related to the peak strain directly measured with the distributed fiber optic sensor.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.145-155
• /
• 2016

The Pulse-Pre Pump Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis (PPP-BOTDA) technique is introduced to implement the multi-direction strain measurement. The monitoring principle is stated. The layout scheme of optical fibers is proposed. The temperature compensation formula and its realizing method are given. The experiments, under tensile load, combined bending and tensile load, are implemented to validate the feasibility of the proposed method. It is shown that the PPP-BOTDA technique can be used to discriminate the multi-direction strains with high spatial resolution and precision.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.75-83
• /
• 2017

Effectively monitoring the concrete cracks is an urgent question to be solved in the structural safety monitoring while cracks in hydraulic concrete structures are ubiquitous. In this paper, two experiments are designed based on the measuring principle of Pulse-Pre pump Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis (PPP-BOTDA) utilizing Brillouin optical fiber sensor to monitor concrete cracks. More specifically, "V" shaped optical fiber sensor is proposed to determine the position of the initial crack and the experiment illustrates that the concrete crack position can be located by the mutation position of optical fiber strain. Further, Brillouin distributed optical fiber sensor and preinstall cracks are set at different angles and loads until the optical fiber is fractured. Through the monitoring data, it can be concluded that the variation law of optical fiber strain can basically reflect the propagation trend of the cracks in hydraulic concrete structures.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.131-143
• /
• 2023

The CFRP bar was used to achieve more ductile and durable headed-stud shear connectors in composite components. Three series of push-out tests were firstly conducted, including specimens reinforced with pure steel fibers, steel and CFRP bars. The distributed stress was measured by the commercial PPP-BOTDA (Pre-Pump-Pulse Brillouin optical time domain analysis) optical fiber sensor with high spatial resolution. A series of numerical analyses using non-linear FE models were also made to study the shear force transfer mechanism and crack response based on the test results. Test results show that the CFRP bar increases the shear strength and stiffness of the large diameter headed-stud shear connection, and it has equivalent reinforcing effects on the stud shear capacity as the commonly used steel bar. The embedded CFRP bar can also largely improve the shear force transfer mechanism and decrease the tensile stress in the transverse direction. The parametric study shows that low content steel fibers could delay the crack initiation of slab around the large diameter stud, and the CFRP bar with normal elastic modulus and the standard reinforcement ratio has good resistance to splitting crack growth in headed stud shear connectors.

• Advanced Composite Materials
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.125-137
• /
• 2008

FBG (Fiber Bragg Grating) sensors and optical fibers were embedded into CFRP dry preforms before resin impregnation in VaRTM (Vacuum-assisted Resin Transfer Molding). The embedding location was the interface between the skin and the stringer in a CFRP-stiffened panel. The reflection spectra of the FBG sensors monitored the strain and temperature changes during all the molding processes. The internal residual strains of the CFRP panel could be evaluated during both the curing time and the post-curing time. The temperature changes indicated the differences between the dry preform and the outside of the vacuum bagging. After the molding, four-point bending was applied to the panel for the verification of its structural integrity and the sensor capabilities. The optical fibers were then used for the newly-developed PPP-BOTDA (Pulse-PrePump Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis) system. The long-range distributed strain and temperature can be measured by this system, whose spatial resolution is 100 mm. The strain changes from the FBGs and the PPP-BOTDA agreed well with those from the conventional strain gages and FE analysis in the CFRP panel. Therefore, the fiber-optic sensors and its system were very effective for the evaluation of the VaRTM composite structures.