Signature of structure failure using asymmetric and broadening factors of Brillouin spectrum

We introduce a novel data analysis approach based on the extraction of peak strain, asymmetric and broadening factors of the Brillouin spectrum measured with the distributed Brillouin sensor (DBS). Such an approach provides simultaneously global and local strains, describing the status of the structure, at the contrary of average strain measurements. These results are confirmed by a trial on a composite column subjected to vertical and bending loads. This demonstrates that the DBS is a powerful tool to give the signature of the structure failure and then to identify early problems in structures that none of existing point sensors can detect.