Maps of deformations in a cantilever beam using particle image velocimetry (PIV) and speckle patterns

PIV (particle image velocimetry) has been spreading in studies that use the movement of particles to monitor the displacement of an object or the flow of a fluid by means of velocity vectors using optical techniques and second order statistics. PIV is also known as laser speckle velocimetry when associated with speckle patterns. This technique has been used in works involving fluids, in general, building a map of velocity vectors representing the flow under analysis. This paper presents an approach by using PIV associated to speckle patterns for deformation measurements in a cantilever beam (ASTM A36 steel), one of the most common examples used in civil engineering, without the introduction of external particles. Results showed that the difference between PIV associated to speckle patterns and the analytic displacement values is increased along the beam length for a load of 1.96 N as an evidence of sensitivity of the proposed measurement method. This indicates that PIV is also capable for detecting displacement fields associated with laser speckle patterns in solid mechanics generating a map of deformation as an additional option for non-destructive tests.