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Structural Health, Machine Health, and Human Health Monitoring
Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems provide accurate and virtually real-time information on the performance and condition of any infrastructure. SHM systems help to increase safety, reduce uncertainty and reduce operating expenses. These systems are especially useful for remote monitoring of critical structures, such as bridges, buildings, dams, tunnels, wind turbines, industrial facilities and even light poles. Bondable and weldable foil strain gages are at the core of many SHM systems.

A Good Foundation

 In order to improve the reliability and safety of Structures, structural Health Monitoring (SHM) has become a popular vehicle to determine the condition of the monitored structure and identify potential problems at an early stage.  Foil strain gages are widely used in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) projects and systems because they are inexpensive, easy to install, and very precise and accurate to measure strain.  Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is a catch phrase for monitoring of any infrastructure. SHM can be applied to bridges, buildings, dams, tunnels, wind turbines, industrial facilities, and even light poles.

 

SHM systems provide accurate and near-real-time information regarding the performance and condition of structures. It will never replace visual inspection and human judgment, but if properly deployed, it can be used to keep a “remote eye” on critical structures. It helps minimize inspection cycles, alerts engineers to any changes, and aids in planning and designing maintenance activities. This increases safety, reduces uncertainty, and lowers operating expenses.

 

 

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Infrastructure/Construction/Civil Engineering
Our foil strain gages are the most robust solution to monitor strain in concrete and metal structures. Our gages are installed on structural components in bridges and buildings to measure stress and compare these measurements to analytical models and stress calculations.
Power Generator/Turbine Manufactures
Strain gages are used to detect equipment failure, malfunction or unusual conditions found during regular operation or maintenance activities. Our sensing systems accurately measure variables in pumps and other equipment that experience high thrust loads, due to our wireless and telemetry capabilities in measuring thrust and torque for MOVs and AOVs.
Ship Builders
Strain gages are used to measure the torque in ship parts such as fans, generators, wheels, or propellers in a motor, turbine, or engine. Strain gages are also vital to measure and monitor mooring forces of ships. Tension strain gage load cells can be mounted in line with the mooring ropes, or another way is to use a shear pin force strain gage transducer.
Fastener Testing
Every day, we come in touch with infrastructure, equipment, vehicles and other objects that are held together with fasteners. In order for them to be safe and reliable, fasteners must perform to expectations and hold up to wear and tear such as stress, vibration, and environmental conditions. Metal foil strain gages are key components in any fastener testing. These tests help to identify potential problems at an early stage, extend service life, and help reduce operating and replacement costs.
Residual Stresses

Virtually all manufacturing and fabricating processes introduce residual stresses into the manufactured object. Usually, residual stresses are detrimental, contributing to fatigue and other structural failures that are often unrecognized until after a malfunction or failure occurs. The hole-drilling strain gage method is a relatively simple procedure and has been standardized in ASTM Standard Test Method E 837. The general theory of making residual stress measurements is covered in Micro-Measurements Tech Note TN-503, “Measurement of Residual Stresses by the Hole-Drilling Strain Gage Method”

Geotechnical/Geoscience
Micro-Measurements has a long history of designing strain gages that meet unique challenges such as those found in constructions occurring on the earth’s surface or subsurface. Our gages are used to determine mechanical properties for structures such as earth-filled dams, retaining wall, embankments, tunnels, dikes and levees, channels, reservoirs and landfills.
Bridges
Our foil strain gages are used in bridge structures around the world. Strain gages are efficient and effective. A permanent installation provides long-term monitoring of the structure’s health, while a temporary installation ensures safe working conditions during a repair. Measurements include strain, displacement, force, temperature, inclination, bending movements and alignment.
Pipelines
Oil and gas pipelines require the capability to monitor the structural integrity of the pipelines and related structures. Metal foil strain gages can be attached to various points along the pipe to offer continuous, remote monitoring of the structures and help prevent threats to the flow inside the pipe as well as potential threats to the environment.
Rail Monitoring
We provide a wide range of strain gages that provide long-term structural monitoring solutions for railways. The strain on rails, such as axial tension or compression, can be measured and monitored. Warnings enable maintenance on the railway to minimize impact on rail traffic and ensure safety.
Dams
Monitoring and analyzing the behavior of a dam’s structural elements is critical. Strain gages can be used during the planning, design, construction and operation of the dam to ensure the performance of the dam’s structure behaves as expected and is safe. Other parts of the dam, such as the reservoir and river basin, can also be monitored with strain gages to help ensure normal operation and safety.
Material & Endurance Testing
Precision, speed and reliability are important features in the force mechanism systems found in the metals processing industry. Metal foil gages are used to determine how long an application can meet processing load demands. Measurements types include linear and shear force, torque, pressure, tension and compression.
Sport, Leisure, & Training Equipment
We design and manufacture hybrid sensors and strain gages that are used in exercise and sports therapy equipment to monitor and/or control the level of effort exerted by the patient, or to measure and track an athlete’s performance.