Optical Fibre Sensors for Monitoring Sewer Concrete Corrosion

Sustainable management of urban wastewater networks is a global problem where sewer pipes are plagued by numerous harsh conditions causing concrete attack. The end result is premature pipe failure that comes with high financial, public health and environmental costs. Currently, water utilities do not have an in-situ, online monitoring capability for their concrete wastewater assets as conventional electrical sensors fail within a few weeks of installation due to the chemically harsh gaseous environment. Here we outline the development of robust fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors to optically measure concrete corrosion rates in wastewater environments over long time periods.