Ozgur, MehmetArsoy, Sami2025-01-272025-01-2720232288-66052288-6613https://doi.org/10.12989/smm.2023.10.2.133https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12428/22140Obscured structural members are mostly under-evaluated during condition assessment due to lack of visual inspection capability. Insufficient information about the integrity of these structural members poses a significant risk for public safety. Time domain reflectometry (TDR) is a novel approach in structural health monitoring (SHM). Ordinary coaxial cables as is without a major modification are not suitable for SHM with TDR. The objective of this study is to propose a practical and cost-effective modification approach to commercially available coaxial cables in order to use them as a cable sensor for damage detection with the TDR equipment for obscured structural members. The experimental validation and assessment of the proposed modification approach was achieved by conducting 3-point bending tests of the model piles as a representative obscured structural member. It can be noted that the RG59/U-6 and RG6/U-4 cable sensors expose higher strain sensitivity in comparison with non-modified as is versions of the cables used. As a result, the cable sensors have the capability of sensing both the presence and the location ofa structural damage with a maximum aberration of 3 cm. Furthermore, the crack development can be monitored by the RG59/U-6 cable sensor with a simple calibration.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccesscable sensorcoaxial cableobscured structural membersRC pileTDRArticle10213315410.12989/smm.2023.10.2.133N/AWOS:0010420608000032-s2.0-85166979773Q2