Monitoring Reinforced Concrete Structures Using Iron Thin Film Coated Optical Fibre Sensors

¹ INESC TEC – Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Sciences, and Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
² Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
³ Department of Physics, School of Sciences and Technology, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5001-801, Vila Real, Portugal

^* Corresponding author: pedro.m.madeira@inesctec.pt

Published online: 15 October 2024

Abstract

Structural health monitoring (SHM) of reinforced concrete structures (RCS) is crucial for mitigating the consequences of their deterioration. By identifying and addressing the issues early, SHM helps reduce environmental impact, safeguard lives, and enhance economic resilience. Rebar corrosion is a leading cause of early RCS decay and optical fibre sensors (OFS) have been employed for its monitoring. Reflection optrodes using optical fibres where the tip is coated with iron (Fe) thin films offer a robust, longlasting and straightforward solution. This study investigates the tracking of spectral changes during the Fe thin film corrosion, which has been neglected in the literature, in favour of tracking reflection changes from thin film spalling. A multimode fibre tip, coated with a thin Fe layer embedded in concrete, allows spectral changes to be observed during corrosion. A 100 nm thick Fe film was deposited using radio frequency magnetron sputtering on polished fibre tips. Corrosion was induced by applying salted water drops and allowing the fibre tip to dry. Corrosion monitoring was successful for both air-exposed and cementembedded tips, with results compared to reflection simulations of Fe, Fe₂O₃, and Fe₃O₄ thin films. This study supports monitoring at different wavelengths, enhancing robustness, cost-effectiveness and earlier detection.