Flexural Behavior of Natural Hybrid FRP-Strengthened RC Beams and Strain Measurements Using BOTDA.

Experimental and finite element analysis results of reinforced concrete beams under monotonic loading were presented in this study. In the experimental program, one beam was tested in an as-built condition. The other two beams were strengthened using natural hybrid FRP layers in different configurations.

Surface-Mounted Bare and Packaged Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors for Measuring Rock Strain in Uniaxial Testing.

The paper explores the possibility of using high-resolution fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing technology for on-specimen strain measurement in the laboratory. The approach provides a means to assess the surface deformation of the specimen, both the axial and radial, through a chain of FBG sensor (C-FBG), in a basic setup of a uniaxial compression test. The method is cost-effective, straightforward and can be commercialized.