Investigation of structural health monitoring of C³ elements using fiber optic sensors

Led by:	B. Roth
E-Mail:	bernhard.roth@hot.uni-hannover.de
Team:	K. Bremer
Year:	2016
Funding:	Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

In terms of structural health monitoring (SHM) applications fibre optic sensors (FOSs) have considerable advantages such as being small sized, light weight as well as electrically passive. Moreover, since optical glass fibers provide low light attenuation FOSs can be multiplexed and interrogated over several kilometres. Therefore, they are perfectly suitable for SHM applications when a vast amount of sensor elements over a large area have to be interrogated.

For SHM applications it is of great interest to embed sensor elements directly into the strengthening (reinforcement) mechanism of a structure. The resulting sensor system would not only address the issue of having to install the sensors separately, but also providing the dual purposes of a sensing and strengthening mechanism. This in turn will make it more practical and hence easier for civil engineers to employ.

Therefore, the aim of this project is to investigate fiber optic sensors for the structural health monitoring of carbon concrete composite (C³) elements. Parts of the research project are the developing of optical fiber sensors and carbon reinforcement structures that are functionalized with optical fiber sensors, the investigation of the sensor performance and reliability as well as the evaluation of the compatibility of fiber optic sensor systems during the life time of C³-elements.

Partners:

Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (STFI)
Materialforschungs- und -prüfanstalt an der Bauhaus-Universität Weimar (MFPA Weimar)