Railroad bridge instrumentation with fiber-optic sensors.
Fiber-optic sensors were installed on fatigue-critical components in the superstructure of a railroad bridge to monitor dynamic strains induced by trains crossing the bridge as well as to detect the onset of cracks. Each fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (FFPI) strain gage was adhesively bonded to a stainless-steel strip to facilitate all-weather installation on the steel bridge members by spot welding. FFPI strain sensors were also installed on a rail at an approach to the bridge. Electrical resistive strain gages were colocated with the fiber-optic sensors on the bridge for the purpose of performance verification. In addition to the strain gages, fiber-optic continuity sensors for crack detection were bonded to the structure at critical locations. A telemetry system for transmitting the data over telephone lines was also installed at the bridge site. Dynamic response of the fiber-optic strain sensors is comparable with that of the electrical gages, and their performance has not degraded in the year since the initial installation.
Lee
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Electrical Engineering Department, Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA.
Lee
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Henderson
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Taylor
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James
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Lee
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Swenson
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Atkins
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Gemeiner
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