Durability of Distributed Optical Fiber Sensors Used for SHM of Reinforced Concrete Structures

This paper presents an experimental study on the durability of two commercially available optical fiber cables intended for distributed strain measurements and crack monitoring of reinforced concrete structures. The experimental program is based on accelerated aging tests performed on small concrete specimens instrumented with these two embedded optical fiber cables. Pull-out tests are carried out after three months of accelerated aging, in order to evaluate the effect of aging on the mechanical response of the cable/concrete interfaces, as this response is directly related to the strain transfer from the host material (concrete) to the optical fiber core. After three months, the cable/concrete interface of one of the two cables was found severely damaged.