Condition monitoring of the strength and stability of civil structures using thick film ceramic sensors

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is about the mechanical strength and stability of a structure. The methods used to reveal and quantify the structure quality could be different in nature. Strain change is, however, the common structural parameter indicating structure condition in time. Strains can give rise to cracks in civil structures that will grow exponentially in time. The most common way of measuring strain in structures is by using the Metal Foil Strain Gauge (FSG). This paper proposes the use of Thick Film Ceramic Strain Gauge Sensors (TFCSs) as an alternative to measure strain on beams. A 4-point bending test (4PBT) was conducted to show the difference in response of the mentioned two kinds of strain gauges; TFCS and FSG, and then thick film ceramic sensor was applied to observe the stability of sample brick column.