Abstract
Online sensing of materials or of the condition of structures has become increasingly important in evaluating the overall behaviour of a complex structure. This task requires reliable structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. Because some simple measurement systems are often mistakenly called monitoring or SHM systems, a clear understanding of the intention and meaning of SHM systems is necessary. Details about the demands on SHM systems are given and their capabilities explained. A definition of a real SHM system is given. The main section focuses particularly on innovative monitoring methods based mainly on the increasingly used fibre-optic sensor technology. Typical examples are presented of long-gauge-length and short-gauge-length fibre-optic sensors for measurement of mechanical, chemical and physical quantities; selected examples of their use are also presented. Sensor systems to be used for long-term monitoring must be stable in their function and work reliably over a long period of time. Therefore, problems relating to reliability are considered, and recent relevant activities in standardization of innovative measurement methods are presented.
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