Testing of Large Smart Structures Using Embedded Sensors

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Fiber optic sensors embedded into reinforced concrete will be tested as evaluators of material integrity and the structural response to extreme loads, and as detectors of stresses that, in turn, would activate control systems. The project will develop and examine coatings and claddings for the fibers to minimize fragility and degradation, test the underlying principles of distributed multi-mode vibration sensing, and develop techniques for embedding and optically multiplexing multiple fiber optic point pressure sensors on a single fiber. The results will be applied to the development of "intelligent" buildings and other types of construction, in which multiplexed sensors are incorporated into their structure to detect failure, measure behavior and feed back to control systems that preserve building's integrity. The benefits of the work is to increase public safety and to decrease damage to and destruction of buildings and structures subjected to extreme natural hazards such as hurricanes and earthquakes.