Concrete Strain Gauges

We stock two main families: embedment gauges for fresh concrete and surface‑mount gauges for hardened structures. Embedment types have flanges or anchor blocks to lock into the concrete; surface types come with mounting tabs for bolting, spot‑welding, or adhesive bonding. Both are available in various gauge lengths and resistance values. If you need a different configuration—say a custom length or a specific lead‑wire material—we typically can adjust it.

The weak point is usually the cable exit. We reinforce ours with a rugged boot and use a splice location away from the sensor body. Before casting, secure the gauge to the rebar with tie wire so it doesn’t float or rotate. After pouring, the vibrator shouldn’t touch the gauge directly. If you follow those steps, survival rate is high even in mass pours.

Concrete expands and contracts with temperature, so the gauge will pick up both stress and thermal strain. Most of our strain gauges include a thermistor so you can measure temperature at the same point and correct the strain data. For outdoor jobs with big temperature swings, this correction is essential to get the real mechanical strain.

We’ve seen installations still reading well after 20 years. The limiting factors are usually corrosion of the lead‑wire or physical damage—not the gauge element itself. Our waterproofing and cable jacket materials are chosen to handle high‑alkaline concrete and water exposure. With proper installation, there’s no reason an embedment gauge shouldn’t outlast the structure’s design life.

Yes. Each gauge leaves our factory with a calibration sheet that shows the gauge factor, zero reading, and thermistor resistance‑temperature table. That data is specific to the serial number. If you need an independent calibration certificate for QA, we can arrange it through our technical support team.