DISCUSSION

1. Importance of using strain gauges in strain measurements

Strain gauges are used in most of the engineering applications especially in civil engineering
structural applications. The main reason for using strain gauge is the safety. Any product or any
structure may fail under stresses and strains. So it is important to measure any kind of deformation of
the product prior to the failure. There the strain gauges are useful. The strain gauges are small and
capable of installing within very small portion. And the modern strain gauges are so sensitive and can
measure the strain very accurately and precisely such that very fine deflections can be measured with
strain gauges. As this strain gauge is very small in size, they can be used in any place. If a certain point
of a product or a structure is to be measured for strain, these gauges can applied and it gives the strain
value for that point or the portion only.
2. What are the possible reasons to have a difference between practical results and
theoretical results?

Thermal stresses of the gauge wires due to atmospheric temperature variations

Self-weight of the cantilevered beam

The changing of the resistance of the gauge due to temperature

Due to the errors of the gauge wires (such as oxidations)

Errors of the amplifier

Errors of the reading of values

3. What is the importance of using strain rosettes?

In the pre-discussed strain gauges it is uni-axial case. It can only measure the direct strains in
single direction. But in the practice the stresses and strains are not limited to a single axis. The stresses
and strains may develop in a beam or any other component in all three mutual perpendicular
directions. In order to measure all three strains, strain rosettes are used. In strain rosettes, there are two
or more strain gauges which can develop three independent voltage values. Those gauges are arranged
in a certain order depending on its application. By changing the angle between each gauge these
different orders are obtained and depending on the angles there are various types. Basically T type
and Delta types are common in practice. Their accuracy is greater than in single gauge and they are
more stable in strain rosettes.

4. Applications
Pressure gauges
Sensing equipment
Aero plane body
Space shuttle applications
Railway applications (for rails)
Bridges
High rise buildings

INTRODUCTION
Depending on the loading conditions, , structural members experience distortions in their
original shapes. When the longitudinal and lateral stresses are concerned longitudinal stress mainly
caused longitudinal strain () and vice versa, by the definition where L and L are changed in length
and original length respectively.

For the shear strain () the angle of distortion () in radian is considered as the value.

It is desirable to measure strain than stress, in the analysis of structural loading systems. The
strain of a member can be easily measured through the use of strain gauge.
The strain gauges are usually made out of thin metal foil which acts as an electrical resistor. It
is connected to a Wheatstone Bridge replacing one out of four resistors. All other three resistors
have fixed resistor value. At the installation the system is calibrated such that the Wheatstone Bridge
is in balanced position. As the thin metal foil is connected to the component which is subjected to the
loading, the metal wire elongates. As it elongates the resistivity of the coil is changed and the
Wheatstone Bridge goes to unbalanced position. And the produced electrical signal is depends on
the strain of the coil or the structural member was subjected. An amplifier develops that weak signal
and transmits it to the machine which is built to measure the strain directly.

DATA TABLE FOR GRAPHS FOR THEORITICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL TENSILE

STRAINS vs. WEIGTH

WEIGHT

TENSILE STRAIN ( 10-6)

THEORITICAL

EXPERIMENTAL

20

15.75

10

40

31.5

20

60

47.25

40

80

63

60

90

70.87

65

DATA TABLE FOR GRAPHS FOR THEORITICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL

COMPRESSIVE STRAINS vs. WEIGTH

WEIGHT

COMPRESSIVE STRAIN ( 10-6)

THEORITICAL

EXPERIMENTAL

20

15.75

10

40

31.5

20

60

47.25

40

80

63

50

90

70.87

60