Structural health monitoring
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Structural health monitoring (SHM) is an upcoming technology in civil, structural and aerospace engineering.
In the last ten to fifteen years, SHM technologies have emerged creating an exciting new field within civil engineering. These technologies are currently becoming increasingly common. SHM refers to the broad concept of assessing the ongoing, in-service performance of structures using a variety of measurement techniques.
SHM System's elements include:
- Structure
- Sensors
- Data acquisition systems
- Data transfer and storage mechanism
- Data management
- Data interpretation and diagnosis:
- 1)System Identification
- 2)Structural model update
- 3)Structural condition assessment
- 4)Prediction of remaining service life
An example of this technology is embedding sensors in structures like bridges and aircrafts. These sensors provide real time monitoring of various structural changes like stress and strain. In the case of civil engineering structures, the data provided by the sensors is usually transmitted to a remote data acquisition centres. With the aid of modern technology, real time control of structures (Active Structural Control) based on the information of sensors is possible. Examples include Wind and Structural Health Monitoring System (WASHMS) in Hong Kong.
