A new fiber-optics sensing and communications structure, Smart Skin Array Technology (SSAT) shows promise for enabling localized crack sensing and measurement systems for civil engineering structures that have been subjected to earthquakes. The approach extends the existing advantages of fiber optics for sensing to the development of localized, real-time, high resolution surface crack sensing arrav systems. Application of such systems lessens the need to interrupt facilities use for maintenance inspection purposes. The project consists of sample fabrication, testing, and analysis to demonstrate technical feasibility within a laboratory environment. The hardware and software specifications for data acquisition, recording, and display of cracking events is being developed.The potential commercial application as described by the awardee: The expected commercial benefit of the research is the introduction to the U.S. civil engineering instrumentation industry of a highly versatile low-cost, defect sensor array architecture that can be highly leveraged across a range of products to sense a variety of parameters.
