Wireless Sensor Networks for Structural Health Monitoring

Abstract

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have revolutionized the field of structural health monitoring (SHM) due to the possibility of dense, low-cost and scalable deployment of sensing nodes in order to continuously monitor civil, aerospace and mechanical structures. WSN based SHM system, which can provide a high-resolution dataset for vibration based damage detection, modal analysis, strain monitoring and environment condition supervision etc. Installation simplicity and lifecycle costs are decreased comparing to wired systems. This article goes through a review of basic concepts, sensor technologies, communications protocols, data processing algorithms and damage detection algorithms, deployment strategies, power management strategies, and some real world study examples. Some of the key challenges -- such as time synchronization, reliable wireless communication, energy harvesting, sensor placement and data management -- as well as some recent technical advances in this field (edge computing, IoT connectivity, low power wide area networks, and machine learning) are some of the topics addressed. Finally, a set of research gaps and a series of practical recommendations for future WSN-based SHM implementations are given.