This paper is a review on distributed optic fiber sensing for structural health monitoring applications, with a deeper focus on technologies relying on the Rayleigh backscattering phenomenon. It addresses the basic physical principles which are involved, the implementation and instrumentation of the measurement techniques, as well as recent practical applications, current performance, and remaining challenges. Being written at an elementary level and integrating relevant theoretical and technical details, we hope the document can be useful for researchers and engineers looking for an up-to-date overview on a field which currently undergoes significant development and increasing attractiveness, in particular for damage tracking in complex mechanical structures.

Merging advanced sensing techniques and simulation tools for future structural health monitoring technologies: Project DREAM-ON aims to design smart autonomous mechanics structures, able to perform online control of their health and take anticipated actions during service for increased reliability and performance. Its innovative concept is a synergistic, real- time, and robust dialogue between advanced sensing techniques and powerful simulation tools to make all knowledge on the physical system available and perform early damage detection, precise diagnosis, and safe decision making.