Applications of fiber optic sensors in civil engineering

Recent development of fiber optic sensor technology has provided an excellent choice for civil engineers for performance monitoring of civil infrastructures. Fiber optic sensors have the advantages of small dimensions, good resolution and accuracy, as well as excellent ability to transmit signal at long distances. They are also immune to electromagnetic and radio frequency interference and may incorporate a series of interrogated sensors multiplexed along a single fiber. These advantages make fiber optic sensors a better method than traditional damage detection methods and devices to some extent. This paper provides a review of recent developments in fiber optic sensor technology as well as some applications of fiber optic sensors to the performance monitoring of civil infrastructures such as buildings, bridges, pavements, dams, pipelines, tunnels, piles, etc. Existing problems of fiber optic sensors with their applications to civil structural performance monitoring are also discussed.