Fiber optic sensor-based concrete structural health monitoring

Fiber optic sensors are being extensively developed and utilized in various fields, compared to conventional sensing technologies, due to their exclusive properties, such as complete immunity to electromagnetic interference, capability of functioning in hostile surroundings, elevated sensitivity and user-friendliness. The unique characteristics of fiber optic sensors can provide more accurate and precise detection of crack damage in concrete structures, the deterioration of which is one of the major growing problems worldwide. This paper provides a comprehensive critical review and comparison of various approaches used in detecting crack damage using fiber optic sensors. A separate section is devoted to highlight the areas where further improvements are required. The compatibility and sustainability of the latest fiber optic sensors in detecting concrete damage are also studied and evaluated in this paper.