Transverse sensitivity of bonded strain gages

Transverse sensitivity of strain gages usually causes unavoidable errors in two-dimensional stress analyses. Formulas have been derived for correcting these errors but involve transverse-sensitivity values which, in most cases, were not available to the user. This paper describes a method for determination of transverse-sensitivity values using a testing apparatus specially built for this purpose. Results from testing a wide variety of wire and foil strain gages are tabulated and mechanisms of the foil-gage transverse sensitivity discussed.