Smart vibrating wire strain gauge (surface welded model)

You’ll need to grind off the coating in the weld zone down to bright metal. The gauge blocks get welded directly to the bare steel to ensure proper strain transfer. After installation, you can recoat the area, keeping the gauge body and cable entry protected with a cover if needed. The factory can supply weatherproof covers that fit the assembly.

Foil gauges need stable excitation and are more sensitive to electromagnetic noise, especially over long cables. Vibrating wire sensors output a frequency, which travels well over distance without signal degradation, and they don’t drift as much because the wire’s resonant frequency is inherently stable. For multi-year monitoring on outdoor steel structures, that usually means cleaner data with less recalibration.

Yes. These gauges output a pulse or frequency signal. The CR1000 reads vibrating wire sensors using a dedicated interface module or by measuring frequency on a pulse channel, depending on your setup. Kingmach provides wiring diagrams and technical notes for common loggers. If you’re using a different brand, just let the support team know and they’ll help with the configuration.

Standard gauge length is usually 150 mm, which works for most structural members where the strain is fairly uniform. For areas with steep strain gradients, like near a weld detail or a crack, a shorter gauge length (say 50 mm) gives a more localized reading. If you’re not sure, send a sketch of the structure and loading to Kingmach’s application engineers—they’ll recommend a length that captures the strain you need without missing critical peaks.