Electrical resistance strain gauges have a metalic foil in a pattern encapsulated in a substrate material. They are bonded to bonded to components under test or used in various types of transducers. As the material they are bonded to strains under load the resistance of the foil increases. This change in resistance can be measured […]
A vernier caliper is a measurement very simple device for making extremely precise measurements (up to 0.001 inches). Here’s an article on how to read one.
A DEMEC (DEmountable MEChanical) strain gauge is a device for monitoring strain in concrete or masonry structures. They generally have gauge lengths like100mm, 200mm, 500mm, etc. There are small metal discs (or other shapes) with small indents that are epoxied or otherwise attached to the structure. There is a bar which is used to set the […]
Proving rings are very simple mechanical devices for measuring force. Due to their simplicity, they are often used as calibration standards for other force measurements. Here’s an article from NIST on the history of proving rings (How did the Proving Ring Come About | NIST). Large proving rings are beautiful examples of precision machining. Morehouse […]