Laboratory Testing of FBGs for Pipeline Monitoring

The monitoring of the effects of geohazards on pipelines can be addressed by optical fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). They are sensitive to strain and bending, and are installed on the external surface of pipelines at discrete locations. A joint approach of theoretical analysis and laboratory experiments is useful to check the reliability of the performance of this technology. We focus on the theoretical analysis of pipeline buckling and investigate the reliability of FBG monitoring both by examining the analytical model available and by performing a laboratory-scale experiment. The novelty lies in the analysis of models and methods originally developed for the detection of pipeline upheaval buckling caused by externally imposed forces in the context of service loads (temperature). Although thermal strain is very relevant in view of its potentially disruptive effects on both pipelines and the FBG response, it has not been yet fully investigated. We point out the merits of the approach, such as the functionality and simplicity of design, the accessibility and inexpensiveness of materials, the controllability and repeatability of processes, the drawbacks are also described, such as temperature effects, the problem of slipping of gages and the challenge of performing quasi-distributed strain measurements.