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VIBRATING STRAIN GAUGE

INTRODUCTION:
Strain gage is described, as when wires of certain
elements are stretched, to exhibit a change in
electrical resistance that is proportional to the
deformation of the element. In most applications
these strain gages are used in the Wheatstone
bridge configuration .Vibrating strain gauges are
environmentally sealed sensors that are used to
register micro changes in length. Since strain is
described as a change in length per unit length,
these sensors detect small changes in their length
and, by simple calculation, their output can then be
converted to strain.

Figure 1

Strain Gauges can be installed or included in many types of monitoring regime and
can be linked to various types of readout equipment.

The Strain gauges are based upon the industry standard Vibrating Wire
technology. When electronically excited, the sensors produces an output
signal in the form of an alternating current. The frequency of the alternating
current can then be readily converted to a change in strain.
Thus, a strain gage is a device which uses change in electrical
resistance to measure
strain.
USES:
The primary uses for Strain Gauges are the measurement of Load and
Bending in steel, concrete and composite structural members, with
applications such as, but not limited to : Piled foundations ( concrete and / or steel )
Retaining Walls
Floor Slabs
Columns and Beams

Mass concrete dams


Falsework / Formwork
Strutting and Temporary Works
Bridgeworks

PRINCIPLE:
Electromagnetic coils are located within the body close to the axis of the
wire. When a brief voltage excitation, or swept frequency excitation is
applied to the coils, a magnetic field is induced causing the wire to oscillate
at its resonant frequency. The wire continues to oscillate for a short period
through the field of the permanent magnet, thus generating an alternating
current (sinusoidal) output. The frequency of this current output is detected
and processed by a vibrating wire readout unit, or by a data logger equipped
with a vibrating wire interface, where it can be converted into Engineering
units of Strain. Forces within the structural element onto, or in, which the
gauge is fixed, cause the length of the gauge to change. This causes a
change in the tension of the wire within the gauge. It is the tension in the
wire that produces the value that can be converted to strain. A change in
length of the wire changes the tension of the wire which results in a change
in resonant frequency of oscillation of the wire. The change in the square of
frequency of oscillation is directly proportional to the change in strain in the
structural element.

BASIC STRAIN GAUGE THEORY:


A strain-sensitive material is one whose electrical resistance is proportional
to the instantaneous spatial-average strain over its surface. Such materials
are of two types: metallic (i.e., foil or wire). When such a material is
stretched, its length increases and its cross-section decreases; consequently,
there is an increase in its electrical resistance. This change in resistance is a
measure of its mechanical motion.

The relationship between resistance change and strain in the foil or


wire used in strain-gage construction can be expressed as
L/L= 1/K . R/R
K=( R/R)/(L/L)

where K is defined as the gage factor of the foil or wire, R is the resistance
change due to strain, R is the initial resistance, L is the change in length, L
is the original length of the wire or foil, and L/L is the unit strain to which
the wire or foil is subjected.

Types of Strain Gauges:


Strain gages are further categorized to specific categories in which the
materials used for the active strain gage elements vary. A few of these
categories are:

Wire strain gauge/ bonded non-foil


Foil strain gauge / bonded foil

WIRE STRAIN GUAGE/ NON FOIL:


Vibrating wire stain gauge is intended primarilily for long term or short term
strain measurements on structural steel members such as tunnel linings
arches, struts, piles and sheet pilings.
The primary means of by conventional
arc welding but they may also be used
to monitor the staing changes on
concrete or rock surfaces uses ancohrs
grouted into boreholes.
Strain is measured using vibrating wire
principl. A length of steel wire is
tensioned between two mounted blocks Figure 2
that are welded to the steel surface
being studied. Deformations ( i.e. stain changes) of the surface will cause
two mounting blocks to move relative to one another, thus altering the
tension in the steel wire. The tension in the wire is measured by plucking the
wire and measuring its resonant frequency of vibration and the wire is
plucked and its resonant frequecy is measure, by the means of
electromagnetic coil, positioned next to the wire. the readouts available in
the device will provide necessary excitation to pluck the wire and will convert
the measured frequency so as to display the reading directly in microstrain.
This device is usually mounted within the structural members during
construction.

FEATURES:
Reliable long term performance.
Rugged, suitable for demanding
environments.
High accuracy.
Insensitive to long cable lengths.
Figure 3

Foil Strain Gauge:


Most strain gages are of foil construction, although fine-wire strain gages are
used for special purposes, such as at high temperatures. Foil strain gages are
usually made by a printed-circuit process.
Since the foil used in a strain gage must
be very fine or thin to have a sufficiently
high
electrical
resistance
(usually
between 60 and 350 ohms), it is difficult
to handle. For example, the foil used in
gages is often about 0.1 millimeter in
thickness. Some use has been made of
wire filaments in strain gages, but this
type of gage is seldom used except in
special or high temperature applications. Figure 4
In order to handle this foil, it must be
provided with a carrier medium or backing material, usually a piece of paper,
plastic, or epoxy. The backing material performs another very important
function in addition to providing ease of
handling and simplicity of application. The
cement provides so much lateral resistance to
the foil that it can be shortened significantly
without buckling; then compressive as well as
tensile strains can be measured. Lead wires or
connection terminals are often provided on foil
Figure 5
gages. A protective coating, recommended or
supplied by the manufacturer, is usually applied over the strain gage,
especially where the lead wires are attached.

FEATURES:

AC or DC excitation acceptable
rugged construction
easy of use
can be used on rounded
limited operating temperature range
low output signal (0-4 mV/V)
limited fatigue life

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