Fibre Optic Extensometers

OpSens Solutions supply a range of fibre optic sensors that work using white light as the source, instead of the laser light of other systems. Part of their range includes three forms of extensometer typically used in civil engineering applications.

The spot welded extensometer can be used for surveillance of steel infrastructure in any environment and the design of this spot welded version makes installation hassle free. Insensitive to temperature variation, the heat generated by the spot welding process will not affect the specifications of the sensor. The spot-welded strain sensor can be packaged for use in permanently immersed applications such as those related to dams or tanks and even pressurised environments since the sealed version can withstand a pressure of up to 300 bar. Being intrinsically safe, these sensors are the obvious choice for hazardous environments such as those having explosive atmosphere and under ATEX directive.

The anchored extensometer can be used for monitoring aging buildings especially for concrete constructions subject to cracking and material deterioration over time.

Packaged in a robust stainless steel casing, this version is perfectly tailored for demanding applications in civil engineering and mining sectors. They can also be packaged for the marine environment, even in applications where the sensors are permanently exposed to sea conditions such as concrete docks, and offshore platforms. Since they do not drift over time and maintenance is not required, they can be used in surveillance applications which last for decades.

The third version is for embedding in concrete, and provides accurate monitoring of expansion / contraction within a concrete infrastructure. Flexible and easy to package, the extensometer can be adapted to be embedded easily in fresh concrete. With a 100% survivability, this robust design makes in-situ monitoring of new concrete structures worry-free and reliable. The fast response sensor can be used in both dynamic and static surveillance applications, and by using the natural advantages of fibre optics, the embeddable extensometer will not be affected by the surrounding environment like other sensing technologies.