STRAIN MEASUREMENT

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE STRAIN GAGES
TYPES OF STRAIN GAGES
STRAIN GAGE SIGNAL CONDITIONING
CALIBRATION

WHAT IS STRAIN?

lateral

axial

Strain is the amount of deformation of a body to an applied force

For axial direction from the figure above

L
L

Usually in (x10-6)

Because of Poisson strain phenomena, D will be contracted in lateral directi

with magnitude depends on Poisson ratio () L

a
is the property of material, for example, steel has 0.250.3

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE STRAIN GAGES
TYPES OF STRAIN GAGES
STRAIN GAGE SIGNAL CONDITIONING
CALIBRATION

MEASURING STRAIN

The most common method for measuring strain is using strain gauge

Strain gage is a device whose electrical resistance

varies in the proportion of the amount of strain
A
in the device.
The most widely used strain gages
is the bonded metallic strain gage

The resistance of the conductor of the strain gage

R

L
A

where r = resistivity of conductor material

L =conductor length
A = cross-sectional area of conductor

If differentiated this equation become:dR

A D

dA
dD
2
A
D

R
Then the equation : dR

Lateral strain

d dL dA

L
A

d
a 1 2

GAGE FACTOR
Strain gage factor, S is defined

dR d

a 1 2
R

S 1 2

dR

usually around 2 for metallic strain gage

If the surface of a structure is in the biaxial stress condition there will

be a transverse strain that will affect the strain gage output
dR
can be described with transverse gage factor, St
R
St

and
St
K

Transverse sensitivity
t
Sa
Usually small (less than 0.01)

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE STRAIN GAGES
TYPES OF STRAIN GAGES
STRAIN GAGE SIGNAL CONDITIONING
CALIBRATION

TYPICAL METALLIC FOIL STRAIN GAGE

single element strain gage

two element rossete

three-element rossete

used in pressured
diaphragms

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE STRAIN GAGES
TYPES OF STRAIN GAGES
STRAIN GAGE SIGNAL CONDITIONING
CALIBRATION

STRAIN GAGE SENSITIVITY

Strain measurement involves a very small quantity (a few me)

Therefore to measure strain, requires accurate measurement of
a very small change of resistance

Example:
To measure a strain of 500 , with strain gage factor= 2
Than R=Sx = 2x500 or 0.1%
If the strain gage has R=120 (typical for a strain gage to measure str
R=0.12 (its a very small resistance change)

To measure such a small change in resistance, a bridge circuit is neede

to convert this change in resistance to the change in voltage

STRAIN GAGE BRIDGE CIRCUIT

WHEATSTONE BRIDGE
For the Wheatstone bridge arrangement

R3
R4
Vs
Vo

R
R

R
3
1
4
2

Vo Vs

R1R3
( R2 R3i R3 )( R1 R4 )

For example strain gage is in R3

The initial resistance of strain gage is R3i
Then to balance the bridge
R3iR1-R4R2=0, then if the strain is strained
R3=R3i+R3
R3 small compared to R3i and can be
neglected
2

R2 R3i
a Vo
Vo become linier function of R3 then
Vs SR2 R3i

EXAMPLE

A single strain gage has a nominal resistance of 120 and a gage facto
of 2.06. For a quarter bridge with 120 fixed resistor, what will be the
voltage output with a strain of 1000 strain for a supply voltage of 3 V?
Solution:
Using equation

a Vo

R2 R3i 2
Vs SR2 R3i

Vout (120 120) 2

1000 x10
3 x 2.06 x120 x120
Vout 1.544mV
6

SEVERAL BRIDGE ARRANGEMENT

quarter bridge circuit

half bridge circuit

full bridge circuit

Temperature compensation
Any change in resistance of RG caused by change
in temperature will be compensated by the dumm
gage resulting in only strain imposed in active RG
will be detected

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE STRAIN GAGES
TYPES OF STRAIN GAGES
STRAIN GAGE SIGNAL CONDITIONING
CALIBRATION

CALIBRATION METHOD

Introducing small resistance change at the gage and calculating equiv

strain in the gage using shunt resistor in parallel with gage
Mounting a strain gage on a cantilever beam into one arm of Wheatsto
bridge and observing deflection as known strain is applied to the gage,
then using deflection formula for cantilever beam deflected a distance
etc

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION