A system is provided for monitoring strain in a substrate using a strain sensor element within a fiber optic sensing cable. Accurate and rapid measurement of strain of remote substrates presents major technical challenges and is the focus of much of the description presented. However, systems, methods and devices provided by the present invention are not only capable of reliably measuring strain in real time, but are also capable of measuring other characteristics of a substrate such as its temperature, pressure and its acoustic characteristics. The system is configured such that a strain sensor element within a strain sensing zone detects substantially the true strain characteristics of the substrate. And while other sensing elements within the same fiber optic sensing cable may not be configured to detect substrate strain at all, these sensing elements may reliably measure the temperature and pressure at the surface of the substrate adjacent to the strain sensing zone.