Strain Gauges are designed to monitor strain in steel members and concrete structures, including bridges, piles, dams, tunnels and buildings. Vibrating Wire (VW) Strain Gauges can either be welded to a structure or embedded in concrete. Each strain gauge consists of two end blocks (designed for the two specific applications) with a tensioned steel wire between them. As the steel or concrete surface with the gauge undergoes strain, the end blocks will move relative to each other. The tension in the wire between the blocks changes accordingly, thus altering the resonant frequency of the wire. The vibrating wire readout is used to generate voltage pulses in the magnet/coil assembly located at the center of the strain gauge. It plucks the wire and measures the resulting resonant frequency of vibration.