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Fiber-optic sensors are increasingly used if special requirements avoid the application of electrical sensors, or economic benefit is promised. The scientific background is well developed; however, there are some restrictions with respect to long-term reliable use. For a widespread practical use, sensor products must be manufactured, characterized and validated according to standards. Guidelines on how to apply sensors and evaluate their operation on-site including special facilities to evaluate applied sensors are needed. The paper will present validation methods to evaluate the quality of sensor systems function. It will also indicate lacks of knowledge and methods to be filled to promote the use of FOS.
Currently, fibre-optic sensors (FOSs) are commonly used if special requirements make the application of electrical sensors impossible, or economic benefit is promised. The scientific background of FOS technology is well developed; however, there are still some restrictions with respect to long-term reliable use. For widespread practical use, sensor products must be manufactured, characterized and validated according to standards. Guidelines on how to apply sensors and evaluate their operation on-site including special facilities to evaluate applied sensors are needed. This paper will focus on important aspects, such as when FOSs may be used under real practical conditions, and will present validation methodologies to evaluate the overall quality of the sensor system's function. It will also indicate the lack of knowledge and methods to be elaborated to promote the use of FOS.
Measurement and data recording systems are important parts of a holistic Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system.
New sensor technologies such as fiber-optic sensors are often used; however, standards (or at least guidelines) are not yet available or internationally approved. This lack in standardization makes the acceptance of FOS technologies in complex SHM systems substantially difficult. A standard family for different FOS technologies is therefore being developed that should help to design SHM systems in an optimal way. International standardization activities take place in several standardization bodies such as IEC and ASTM, and within SHM societies such as ISHMII.
The paper reports on activities in standardization of fiber-optic sensors, on results already achieved, and on newly started projects. Combined activities of fiber sensor experts and SHM experts from Civil Engineering are presented. These contributions should help owners of structures as well as developers of sensors and monitoring systems to select effective and validated sensing technologies. Using these standards, both parties find recommendations how to proceed in development of SHM systems to evaluate the structural behavior based on e.g. standardized fiber optic sensors, and to derive necessary measures, e.g. the optimal maintenance strategy.
Fibre-optic sensors need to be more established in the sensor market. Their advantages have unquestionably been verified by numerous demonstrations. However, there are some open questions leading now and then to restraints in the user's community. The paper dicusses examples where fibre-optic sensors provide outstanding knowledge about the structure's behaviour, but application is often challenging. Requirements are listed and open questions to be solved are discussed. Short outlook to standards useful for better design, characterization and application is given. Standards are the basis for establiching SHM systems, especially for safety-critical structural diagnostics.