Fabry-Perot optical fiber sensing technology and its application in strain monitoring of great structures

A kind of Fabry-Perot(FP) optic fiber sensors(FOS) is used in replacement of conventional instruments for monitoring of structures in this paper. The FP sensor technology, its signal processing, readout unit and its maintenance are explained first. Then a case of long-term, realtime strain monitoring system of railway bridges with Fabry-Perot sensors is Studied. Long-term, real-time strain monitoring used FP FOSs in great structures is an innovation. The real-time data gotten form the monitoring spot illuminates that the system has several advantages over conventional structural instruments including fast response, ability of both static and dynamic monitoring, absolute measurement, intrinsic immunity to lightning strikes and other interferences and low attenuation of light signals in long fiber optic cables.