This paper describes the development and application of fiber
optic sensors for monitoring bridge structures. Fiber Bragg gratings
(FBGs) have been used to measure static and dynamic loads on bridge decks
and columns, including composite repairs for rehabilitation purposes. A new
long gage concept that permits overall average strains to be measured has
also been developed with gage lengths varying from 1-20 m. These
gages can be bonded to the concrete structure or imbedded in the composite
repair patch. Six projects undertaken by ISIS Canada to incorporate fiber
optic sensing to monitor the structural health of bridges in Canada are
described. Data will be presented for several bridges that indicate a
measure of system reliability over several years in a hostile environment.
The benefits of fiber optic sensors will be highlighted.
This paper describes the operation and performance of an atomic-oxygen (AO) beam facility developed at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS), capable of providing ground-state neutral oxygen atoms at ~ 2.2 eV for flux levels as high as ~ 1016 atoms (cm2 s)−1. Results are presented on the AO erosion of polymer thin films and composite materials containing graphite and aramid fibres in epoxy matrices. Comparisons with space flight tests are also given, including studies of samples recently retrieved from the UTIAS composite-materials experiment on the NASA Long Duration Exposure Facility after 70 months exposure in low Earth orbit. Parameters that have been investigated include synergistic effects of UV radiation, surface-morphology changes, and accelerated testing.
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