Abstract
Strains in unidirectionally carbon fiber aligned plastic composites under tensile loading were measured by optical interferometry. The single-mode optical fiber was attached to the test specimen using gauge cement. Two types of optical interferometer, Michelson and Mach-Zehnder types, were employed. The gauge length of optical fiber sensor was controlled with Teflon sheet. Strains measured with optical interferometers showed a good agreement with those measured with the iron strain gauge. The optical fiber sensor permits the strain measurement with a range of over 1.5%.
