Strain transfer assessment of multiple Distributed Optical Fiber Sensors for structural health monitoring applications

When a DOFS is surface glued or embedded in a host structure, strain is transferred from the structure to the detection of the glass core by means of the adhesive and coating layers, which contribute to stress distribution and protect the fragile sensing core. Consequently, the strain measured by the OF is not the same as the actual strain acting on the structure. Therefore, in order to have a quantitative evaluation of the strain measured, it is crucial to investigate how the strain transfer mechanism works, in this way it is possible to establish the connection that relates the measured strain and the stresses experienced by the structure.