Use of FBG sensors in advanced civil engineering applications

Structural health monitoring (SHM) in civil engineering structures has gained a key role to provide early warning for the occurrence of conditions leading to potential damage and unsafe service. Among the various available technologies, fiber optic ones have proved to be reliable and convenient to perform permanent monitoring in both static and dynamic regimes. Fiber optic sensing solutions based on the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) technology are very versatile and they can be effectively used to provide multipoint sensing systems distributed on large structures. FBG sensors have a point-like form factor, but they can be easily packaged in solid housings in order to fit the necessary measuring gauge and sensitivity, shape and size, mechanical and environmental requirements. As key advantages over electric technologies, FBG sensors offer immunity to electromagnetic interference, in-series cabling of sensors for different physical parameters, stable response to both quasi-static phenomena and fast response transitory phenomena. This paper presents some monitoring solutions developed in ENEA with FBG sensors for civil engineering applications.