A Transducer for Measuring Tensile Strains in Concrete Bridge Girders

Load testing highway bridges is becoming an increasingly common procedure for determining bridge load capacity. Bridge testers frequently measure the strains in critical bridge components due to known loads. Measuring the strains in reinforced concrete bridges can be difficult due to the non-uniform distribution of strain in the tension (cracked) zone. This paper describes the design and testing of a simple yet accurate transducer for measuring flexural tensile strains in reinforced concrete bridges.