A novel distributed optical crack sensor for concrete structures

The damage condition of a concrete structure can be assessed through the mo nitoring of cracks. The objective of the present investigation is to develo p a novel optical fiber sensor for the detection of cracks and the subseque nt monitoring of their openings. With this sensing concept, (i) no a-priori knowledge of crack location is required, and (ii) a small number of fibers can be employed to detect and monitor a large number of cracks. This paper presents the sensing concept, preliminary experimental results, and a theo retical model for the prediction of optical power loss. The findings of thi s investigation demonstrate the potential of the novel sensing technique fo r practical applications. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserve d.