Abstract
Practical guidelines are presented for the optimal placement of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors in reinforced concrete elements aimed at improving the accuracy and reliability of structural health monitoring systems. The study addresses the problem of inefficient sensor distribution, which can lead to increased costs and reduced sensitivity to local damage. Stressstrain zones were identified using finite element modeling in ANSYS and validated through laboratory experiments on reinforced concrete specimens subjected to static and cyclic loading. Three sensor layouts – linear, diagonal, and combined – were systematically analyzed and compared. The combined layout demonstrated the lowest average measurement error of 3.1% while requiring fewer sensors than the other configurations. Numerical simulations confirmed that this layout corresponds to regions of maximum deformation and tensile stress. The results show that optimized sensor placement enhances monitoring accuracy, reduces system cost, and enables early detection of crack initiation in concrete structures.