Strain Gauge

Measurement of strain

When a force is applied to a structure, the

components of the structure change slightly
in their dimensions and are said to be
strained

To measure these small changes – strain

gages

Electrical resistance strain gage – commonly

used : simple, inexpensive and reliable
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Strain gages
Intan Zaurah, FKM,UTM
Electrical resistance strain gage

Measurement of strain in a simple structure

A supported beam is bent by applying a lateral force

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Beam will become longer on the bottom surface and
shorter on the top surface

Attached – strain gage with length l

Wire stretched – length = l +l

Strain = ratio of  l/l =  (unitless)

Common: in microstrain(strain – 106)

E.g. a low strength steel yields a strain of 0.0014 or

1400 strain
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For elastic material stressed in a single direction
(uniaxial stressed), stress ( Nm-2), related to
strain is (Hooke’s Law):
 = E
E = modules of elasticity (Young’s modulus)

Metal strain gage

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Strain gage principles

Stretching wire will cause electrical resistance change:

L
R (1)
A
R = resistance () L = wire length (m)
A = cross sectional area of the wire
 = resistivity ( m)

The equation can be logarithmically differentiated

dR d dL dA
   (2)
R  Intan
L Zaurah,AFKM,UTM
dL/L = axial strain a
2
D
Area: A (3)
4
The equation can be logarithmically differentiated:
dA dD (4)
2
A D
dD/D = transverse strain t

Relationship between axial and transverse strain

t = -a (5)
 = Poisson’s ratio, minus – means as wire becomes
longer, transverse dimension decreases
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Combine equation 2, 4 and 5:

dR d
  a 1 2 
R 

Show relationship between the change in

resistance, strain and resistivity

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A list of alloys commonly employed for strain gage
Material Composition (%) Strain (S)

Advance or Constantan 45 Ni, 55 Cu 2.1

Nichrome V 80 Ni, 20 Cr 2.1
Isoelastic 36 Ni, 8 Cr, 0.5 Mo, 55.5 3.6
Karma Fe 2.0
Armour D 74 Ni, 20 Cr, 3 Al, 3 Fe 2.0
Platinum-Tungsten 70 Fe, 20 Cr, 10 Al 4.0
92 Pt, 8 W

Most commonly used copper-nickel alloy or

Advance or Constantan

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Most resistance strain gage are of metal foil, grid
configuration

Wide variety of sizes and shapes

Shortest =0.20mm, longest = 120 mm

Standard resistance change=120 and 350

Very fragile and easy distort, wrinkle or tear

For that, is bonded to a thin plastic firm serves as

a backing
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Intan Zaurah, FKM,UTM
Strain gage factor

Relation between strain and resistance change

dR / R
F

Dimension of F varies depend on type of metal and
can go up to 6.0.
For metal gage = 2.0

Strain as high as 40,000  can be measured

routinely
For strains as high as 200,000  (20% elongation)
special gage
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Metal foil strain gages are widely used

Semiconductor strain gage – used as sensing

elements in pressure and acceleration
transducer

Advantage – high gage factor than metal foil,

125 commonly

Disadvantage – not ductile, can measure

strain only as high as 3000 
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Example 1

A strain gage with resistance R = 120  and

F = 2. The gage is applied to a material
with E = 200106 Nm-2 and m = 50 Nm-2.
Find the maximum resistance change for
the gage.

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Axial force load cell

Axial force (P) is applied to a body with a

strain gage applied to measure strain

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Stress is given as:
P
 
ab
From previous equation stress is also:
 = E

and strain is given as:  l/l = 

dR / R
and strain is also given as: 
F
Stress is : dR 1
 E .
R FIntan Zaurah, FKM,UTM
 P
Stress is also given as:  
ab
Therefore:
dR F
 P
R Eab
Or dR/R  P

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Bending load cell

Strain gage for bending load

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Moment of force F at the position of gage:

Mx = Px

x = distance perpendicular to gage

Coulomb’s Law
Mx 

I h
I = second moment of area
h = distance form neutral axis
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Substitute Mx, the equation becomes:
l
 Px
h
h
Stress is given as:   Px
I

3
ab
Given: I  and h=b/a
12
b 12 6x
Therefore stress is:   Px 3
 2P
2 ab ab
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Stress based on previous equations:
 = E and dR / R

F
Therefore: E.dR / R


Equate stress the equation becomes:
dR E 6 x
 2P
R F ab

dR 6 Fx
Finally:  2
P
R Eab
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