An early detection and monitoring of pipe thinning is of crucial importance in engineering and technological practice, especially in highly pressurized and/or containing hazardous substances pipelines. The standard procedure for inspecting pipeline thickness is the Ultrasonic Technology (UT). The UT measurements, however, require removing the pipe insulation, stopping the technological process, and thus being very expensive to carry out. Moreover, a priori selected, limited in size, portions of the pipe are scanned only, what does not give a complete view of pipe condition.

An alternative approach is offered by optical fiber distributed sensing, providing strain measurements. In the latter, the high spatial resolution is a primary requirement as the effect of thinning on deformation pattern (and strain field) is localized. There are also other advantages of using optical fibers which but are not limited to:

• easy-layout
• explosion-safe
• high-temperature resistance

Neubrex has been involved in research and development of efficient, robust, and reliable techniques for monitoring pipeline structural health.