Fiber optic sensor reliability issues in structural health monitoring

Reliability is an important aspect of any sensor, and especially in terms of long term monitoring of structures. Some issues pertaining to the reliability of optical fiber sensors in civil structures are discussed in this article. The strength and fatigue properties of optical fibers influence their performance, and life span. Lessons learnt from the reliability of optical fibers in the telecommunication industry are useful for assessment of reliability in optical fiber sensors. However, optical fiber sensors go through additional manufacturing steps, handling processes, and in general operate under environmental conditions and stress levels different from the telecommunication lines. In general, optical fiber sensors in structures are subjected to fatigue loading under high stresses. Other reliability concerns pertain to the effects of the packaging, installation issues at the construction site. These issues along with some of the results acquired from fatigue tests on fiber optic Bragg gratings and long gauge interferometric sensors are discussed in this article.