Real-time monitoring of local scour by using fiber Bragg grating sensors

Local scour is one of the major factors for bridge failure. Scour failures tend to occur suddenly and without prior warning or sign of distress to the structure. Two types of real-time monitoring systems for bridge scour, using fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors, have been developed and tested in the laboratory. These FBG scour-monitoring systems can measure both the processes of scouring/deposition and the variations of water level. Several experimental runs have been conducted in the flume to demonstrate the applicability of the FBG systems. The experimental results indicate that the real-time monitoring system has the potential for further applications in the field.