Minutolo, V.; Cerri, E.; Coscetta, A.; Damiano, E.; De Cristofaro, M.; Di Gennaro, L.; Esposito, L.; Ferla, P.; Mirabile, M.; Olivares, L.; Zona, R. NSHT: New Smart Hybrid Transducer for Structural and Geotechnical Applications. Appl. Sci.2020, 10, 4498.
Minutolo, V.; Cerri, E.; Coscetta, A.; Damiano, E.; De Cristofaro, M.; Di Gennaro, L.; Esposito, L.; Ferla, P.; Mirabile, M.; Olivares, L.; Zona, R. NSHT: New Smart Hybrid Transducer for Structural and Geotechnical Applications. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 4498.
Minutolo, V.; Cerri, E.; Coscetta, A.; Damiano, E.; De Cristofaro, M.; Di Gennaro, L.; Esposito, L.; Ferla, P.; Mirabile, M.; Olivares, L.; Zona, R. NSHT: New Smart Hybrid Transducer for Structural and Geotechnical Applications. Appl. Sci.2020, 10, 4498.
Minutolo, V.; Cerri, E.; Coscetta, A.; Damiano, E.; De Cristofaro, M.; Di Gennaro, L.; Esposito, L.; Ferla, P.; Mirabile, M.; Olivares, L.; Zona, R. NSHT: New Smart Hybrid Transducer for Structural and Geotechnical Applications. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 4498.
Abstract
This work describes a new transducer prototype for continuous monitoring both in the structural and geotechnical fields. The transducer is synthetically constituted by a wire of optical fiber embedded between two fiber tapes (fiberglass or carbon fiber) and glued by a matrix of polyester resin. The fiber optical wire ends have been connected to a control unit whose detection system is based on Brillouin optical time-domain frequency analysis. Three laboratory tests were carried out to evaluate the sensor's reliability and accuracy. In each experiment, the transducer was applied to a sample of inclinometer casing sets in different configurations and with different constraint conditions. The experimental data collected were compared with theoretical models and with data obtained from the use of different measuring instruments to perform validation and calibration of the transducer at the same time. Several diagrams allow comparing the transducer and highlighting its suitability for monitoring and maintenance of structures. The characteristic of the transducer suggests its use as a mixed system for reinforcing and monitoring, especially in lifetime maintenance of critical infrastructures such as transportation and service networks, and historical heritage.
Keywords
structural safety assessment; experimental monitoring; strain transducers; reinforcement; civil engineering; optical fiber sensors; life time structural monitoring; Brillouin
Subject
Engineering, Civil Engineering
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
