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SHM Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) Technology

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) using Fibre Optic Sensors (FOS)
Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) provides designers with feedback of structural performance, assisting in development of structures with higher utility and lower manufacturing costs.

SHM reduces cost of ownership

SHM provides 24-hour/7-day monitoring functions which reduce the cost of ownership of a structure by:

  • reducing unnecessary routine maintenance

  • increasing availability and extending life by warning when preventative maintenance is required

  • reducing insurance against downtime and failure

Advantages of Fibre Optic Sensors (FOS)

Structural Health Monitoring nowadays continues to advance from conventional strain gauges to FBG Fibre Optic Sensors (FOS) and major breakthroughs in wireless remote monitoring.

Conventional strain gauge uses electrical resistance of fine electric resistance wire or foil to measure strain and induced parameters. Electrical strain gauge has a significant drawback; it is not suitable for long-term usage.

Fibre optic sensors use optical wavelength of fibre Bragg grating to measure temperature and strain. FOS has many advantages over the traditional electrical system such as:

  • Suitable for long-term permanent SHM: monitor structure during construction stage and whole lifespan as well

  • No calibration needed

  • One cable can have hundreds of the sensors

  • Simple installation

  • Cable can run kilometres, no length limit

  • Fibre optic sensors use light signal - no electrical sparking, intrinsically safe

  • Gauge length can be few metres long to measure global behaviours of structures

  • Suitable for both static and dynamic measurement
Now FOS SHM is commonly used in critical buildings, bridges and infrastructures.


General Specifications* of FOSTA Systems

  Typical Premium
Strain range ±2,000 µstrain ±20,000 µstrain
Strain resolution 1 µstrain 0.2 µstrain
Operation temperature 0~50°C -50~80°C
Scan frequency 1 Hz 6000 Hz
Power supply Battery / Mains

   *Specifications subject to change


Industry Application Domains

  • Bridges
  • Buildings
  • Tunnels
  • Geotechnical Work
  • Oil Drilling
  • Steel Structures
  • Aerospace and Military
  • Power
Bridges Buildings Tunnels Geotechnical Work
Oil Drilling Steel Structures Aerospace and Military Power


Download FOSTA brochure: Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

FOSTA Pte Ltd  |  FOSTA (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd
215 Kaki Bukit Avenue 1 Shun Li Industrial Park, SINGAPORE 416042
Tel: +65 6744 2661   Fax: +65 6561 3766   info@fos-ta.com
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