Fiber-optic nerves for structural health monitoring

Fibre-optic nerves for structural health monitoring
Uninterrupted monitoring of stress and fatigue detects early signs of failure of large structures. The fibrisTerre system uses standard optical fibers used in everyday telecommunications – connected to a readout unit, the fibers become highly sensitive nerves within soil and concrete, sensing and transmitting data.

Pipelines

Detect possible failure at the earliest stage to prevent downtime and catastrophe
Detect geohazards (ground movement) along pipeline right of way
Monitor pipeline deformation
Optimize production efficiency

Geotechnical Engineering

Geotechnical monitoring of large and remote structures for early failure detection
Detect ground movement along railway lines, roads and embankments, pipeline and power cable rights-of-way
Detect settlement, subsidence, cracks and convergences
Detect threats to critical traffic links

Mining

Detect ground movement and strain in tunnels and shafts, during construction, in operation and in abandonment
Monitor conveyor belts and linear asset conditions
Monitor ground movement in tailings dams
Monitor strain in shafts and during tunneling

Civil Construction

Monitor bridges, dams, high-rise buildings
Measure deformation in concrete structures and diaphragm walls
Asses load and strain on foundation piles
Detect cracks and fatigue along beams, containments, cooling towers

Energy - Power generation and transmission

Optimize transmission: power cable temperature and strain monitoring over long and short distances
Detect hot-spots along onshore, subsea and offshore cable installations
Detect washout, scouring, and settlement along subsea cables
Monitor structural health of hydropower dams
Monitor nuclear waste storage facilities

Research and Development

Investigate fiber optic cable properties, including strain during cable jacketing
Get the insight to boost innovation in construction, electronics and photonics
Measure strain in power and fiber optic cable design and testing (fiber optic test and measurement)
Obtain live and continuous strain and temperature data for projects in earth science (geology, geodesy, hydrogeology, geotechnics)
Ideal for primary investigations and input or validation for models and digital twins
Feel what’s happening inside the fiber – state-of-the art Brillouin sensing
Walk new paths in cable design with online strain measurements