Trade fairs

SMAR 2026 (8th International Conference on Smart Monitoring, Assessment and Rehabilitation of Civil Structures) is an international conference on intelligent monitoring, assessment, and rehabilitation of civil structures. Here, representatives from science, engineering, and infrastructure practice come together to present and discuss the latest developments in testing and monitoring technology, structural modeling, and assessment methods.

In the accompanying exhibition, Fraunhofer IKTS will showcase innovative solutions for monitoring critical and civil infrastructure. The focus is on two technologies that address key challenges in modern infrastructure monitoring.

Structural Monitoring with Optical Fibers

Strain measurement with optical fibers is a measurement method based on optical backscattering in glass fibers, which allows structural changes to be recorded continuously and with high resolution. If structural components change due to mechanical loads or temperature fluctuations, the transit time and scattering behavior of the light in the fiber also change. In this way, strains, cracks, and deformations can be visualized across the entire length of the component. For this purpose, the optical fibers are applied to the component or integrated directly into the concrete, and the altered light signals are analyzed using an optical readout device.

Structural monitoring with laser speckle photometry

Laser speckle photometry (LSP) is an optical measurement method for bridge monitoring that allows structural changes to be detected non-contact and over a wide area. If components change under traffic loads, deformations, vibrations, and dynamic responses can be visualized, as well as local deformations, microcracks, or spalling in concrete and steel. In this way, both changes in load-bearing behavior and material damage can be detected at an early stage. Since the method operates from a distance, traffic disruptions are generally not required, and the measurement data can be continuously evaluated using software.