High-Frequency Distributed Sensing for Structure Monitoring

Abstract

Structural health monitoring (SHM) involves continuous monitoring of a structure’s condition with near real-time analysis of sensed data. The emerging wireless sensor network (WSN) technology enables distributed data acquisition and processing for structure monitoring applications, which currently adopt a centralized solution, using a network of intelligent sensors. We design a robust WSN-based distributed sensing system for high-frequency data acquisition in structure monitoring. The system emulates the functionality of a centralized sensing system employing analog sensors, achieving comparable performance. The resulting compatibility with existing centralized SHM algorithms will facilitate the adoption of sensor network technology for structure monitoring. The networking and sensing services comprising the system also enable in situ data processing in WSNs, providing a seamless transition from centralized to fully distributed structural health monitoring applications.