Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) uses different types of sensors to measure the physical response of structures. These measurements are used to assess structural condition and detect changes over time.
The choice of sensors depends on the type of structure and the monitoring objectives.
Several types of sensors are commonly used in Structural Health Monitoring.
Accelerometers measure structural vibrations and are widely used in vibration-based SHM.
They are used to:
Strain gauges measure deformation (strain) in structural elements when they are subjected to load.
They are typically used to:
Vibration-based SHM is closely related to Operational Modal Analysis (OMA).
OMA is used to extract modal parameters from vibration measurements, which can then be monitored over time to detect structural changes.
Environmental sensors measure external conditions that can influence structural behaviour.
These include:
Such measurements help distinguish between environmental effects and structural changes.
In vibration-based Structural Health Monitoring, accelerometers are the primary sensors used to measure structural response.
The measured vibration data is then analysed to extract modal parameters and track changes over time.
Sensor data in SHM systems is processed using specialized software tools.
In vibration-based SHM, this includes modal analysis techniques implemented in software such as ARTeMIS SHM, which enables continuous monitoring and detection of structural changes based on vibration data.
