Monitoring of Beams in an RC Building during a Load Test Using Distributed Sensors

The understanding of the complex behavior of reinforced concrete elements in situ would be aided if distributed strain measurements were captured during load tests, potentially leading to more accurate assessments and load ratings, and optimized future designs. This research investigates the use of distributed fiber optic sensors (FOS) to monitor three beams in a newly constructed RC building during a load test. It is the first case where an FOS technique capable of monitoring distributed strains, distributed deflections, and crack widths simultaneously is implemented in the field. The FOS data captured inflection points, moment transfer at the supports, crack locations, and crack openings. The FOS also captured deflected shapes, enabling maximum deflections to be determined without prior knowledge of where they would occur. Lastly, the measured results from the load test were compared to design model predictions for each element.