Benefits of using digital image correlation systems for advanced structural assessment

New developments in civil engineering in the area of innovative high-performance materials and sophisticated geometrical designs generate the need for advanced measurement and monitoring systems. Based on years of utilizing digital image correlation (DIC) in a diverse field of applications, the advantages and disadvantages of DIC measurements are highlighted, by means of a selection of various experimental tests conducted by the authors. Recommendations for a general methodology for the utilization of DIC systems are presented. For this purpose, the beneficial advantages in the case of a variety of different chosen test setups, as well as the originated evaluation data, are shown. Such a type of non invasive optical measurement system enables the user to gather data even in challenging conditions, where a brittle failure of the specimen has to be expected and conventional measurement equipment, like LVDTs or displacement transducers, reach their limit. In addition, a simplified model for a 3D measurement setup calculation is presented.