Protection and Installation of FBG Strain Sensor in Deep Boreholes for Subsurface Faults Behavior Monitoring

Fiber optic sensors are gradually replacing electrical sensors in geotechnical applications owing to their immunity to electrical interference, durability, and cost-effectiveness. However, additional protective measures are required to prevent loss of functionality due to damage to the sensors, cables, or connection parts (splices and/or connectors) during installation and completion processes in borehole applications. We introduce two cases of installing fiber Bragg grating (FBG) strain sensors in 1 km boreholes to monitor the behavior of deep subsurface faults. We present our fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) forming schemes to protect sensors and splices. We also present uniaxial load test and post-completion monitoring results for assessing the effects and performance of the protective measures. The uniaxial load test and post-completion monitoring show that FBG sensors are well protected by FRP forming without significant impact on sensor performance itself and that they are successfully installed in deep boreholes. In addition to summarizing our learning from experiences, we also suggest several points for consideration to improve the applicability of FBG sensors in borehole environment of the geotechnical field.

Laboratory Investigations into the Bearing Capacity of Straw Bales for Low-Rise Building Applications

Investigations were carried out to study the mechanical performance under uniaxial load of unplastered and plastered straw bales. Results from tests on 30 rice straw bales indicated nonlinear load-bearing properties with large deformations and anisotropy. Since the deformations observed did not conform to the current building code requirements, the evaluation of ultimate bearing capacity through the maximum axial vertical load was not possible. To obtain the design strength of rice straw bales in composite walls, further 21 specimens of plastered straw bales were also tested in compression. The permissible deformation of the straw bales was evaluated. It is noteworthy that the large deformability of straw bales can reduce the damage to structures after an earthquake. Consequently, the straw bale use can widely enhance the seismic performance of low-rise buildings.

Quantitative Damage and Fracture Mode of Sandstone under Uniaxial Load Based on Acoustic Emission

The damage degree and fracture mechanism of the rock are important to the bearing performance of the rock mass and the stability of the overlying structure. Most of the existing damage models for characterizing rock damage exclude the range of postpeak stress or do not consider the compaction and closure stage of the fracture, and the description of the quantitative damage of sandstone is not accurate enough. In addition, the description of the rock fracture mechanism under load is not exact enough. Aiming at the problem of quantitative damage and fracture mechanism of the loaded rock, this paper adopts acoustic emission (AE) to monitor the loading process of sandstone under uniaxial loading. In accordance with the characteristics of the AE signal, the loading stage of sandstone under uniaxial load is divided into three stages: initial hit stage, hit stability stage, and hit instability stage. By modifying the traditional damage model and combining the AE signals of the sandstone under the load, a modified damage mechanics model is obtained, which can fully express the entire loading stage. Furthermore, through the analysis of AE signals, the fracture mechanism of sandstone under uniaxial load is studied. The results show that the modified damage model can quantitatively describe the damage at different loading stages which include two areas including the fracture compaction closure stage and the postpeak stress stage. The failure and instability of sandstone under uniaxial load is mainly shear failure. The research results can provide a reference for the nondestructive testing of sandstone and engineering reliability in geotechnical engineering.

Estimation of Stresses in Concrete by Using Coda Wave Interferometry to Establish an Acoustoelastic Modulus Database

This article presents an experimental study of estimating stresses in concrete by applications of coda wave interferometry to establish an acoustoelastic modulus database. Under well-controlled laboratory conditions, uniaxial load cycles were performed on three groups of 15 × 15 × 35-cm concrete prisms, with ultrasonic signals being collected continuously. Then, the coda wave interferometry technique, together with acoustoelastic and Kaiser theories, are utilized to analyze the stress-velocity relations for the distinct ranges before and after historical maximum loads, forming an acoustoelastic modulus database. When applied to different concrete samples, their stresses are estimated with a high degree of accuracy. This study could be used to promote the development of novel nondestructive techniques that aid in structural stress monitoring.