title: Structural Health Monitoring Using Textile Reinforcement Structures with Integrated Optical Fiber Sensors.
abstract: Optical fiber-based sensors "embedded" in functionalized carbon structures (FCSs) and textile net structures (TNSs) based on alkaline-resistant glass are introduced for the purpose of structural health monitoring (SHM) of concrete-based structures. The design aims to monitor common SHM parameters such as strain and cracks while at the same time acting as a structural strengthening mechanism. The sensor performances of the two systems are characterized in situ using Mach-Zehnder interferometric (MZI) and optical attenuation measurement techniques, respectively. For this purpose, different FCS samples were subjected to varying elongation using a tensile testing machine by carefully incrementing the applied force, and good correlation between the applied force and measured length change was observed. For crack detection, the functionalized TNSs were embedded into a concrete block which was then exposed to varying load using the three-point flexural test until destruction. Promising results were observed, identifying that the location of the crack can be determined using the conventional optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR) technique. The embedded sensors thus evaluated show the value of the dual achievement of the schemes proposed in obtaining strain/crack measurement while being utilized as strengthening agents as well.
authors.affiliation: Hannover Centre for Optical Technologies (HOT), Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover 30167, Germany. Kort.Bremer@hot.uni-hannover.de.
authors.forename: Kort
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bremer
authors.affiliation: Saxon Textile Research Institute (STFI), Chemnitz 09125, Germany. Frank.Weigand@stfi.de.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Weigand
authors.affiliation: Hannover Centre for Optical Technologies (HOT), Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover 30167, Germany. Yulong.Zheng@hot.uni-hannover.de.
authors.forename: Yulong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and the Built Environment, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh EH10 5DT, UK. L.Alwis@napier.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Lourdes Shanika
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Alwis
authors.affiliation: Saxon Textile Research Institute (STFI), Chemnitz 09125, Germany. Reinhard.Helbig@stfi.de.
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Helbig
authors.affiliation: Hannover Centre for Optical Technologies (HOT), Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover 30167, Germany. Bernhard.Roth@hot.uni-hannover.de.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roth
keywords: crack detection; fiber optic sensor; functionalized carbon structure; strain sensing; structural health monitoring