Determination of the Real Cracking Moment of Two Reinforced Concrete Beams through the Use of Embedded Fiber Optic Sensors

This article investigates the possibility of applying weldable optic fiber sensors to the corrugated rebar in reinforced concrete structures to detect cracks and measure the deformation of the steel. Arrays have initially been designed comprised of two weldable optic fiber sensors, and one temperature sensor to compensate its effect in measuring deformations. A series of tests were performed on the structures to evaluate functioning of the sensors, and the results obtained from the deformation measures shown by the sensors have been stored using specific software. Two reinforced concrete beams simply resting on the support have been designed to perform the tests, and they have been monitored in the zones with maximum flexion moment. Different loading steps have been applied to the beams at the center of the span, using a loading cylinder, and the measurement of the load applied has been determined using a loading cell. The analysis of the deformation measurements of the corrugated rebar obtained by the optic fiber sensors has allowed us to determine the moment at which the concrete has cracked due to the effect of the loads applied and the deformation it has suffered by the effect of the different loading steps applied to the beams. This means that this method of measuring deformations in the corrugated rebar by weldable optic fiber sensors provides very precise results. Future lines of research will concentrate on determining an expression that indicates the real cracking moment of the concrete.