Advanced Sensing, Degradation Detection, Diagnostic and Prognostic Capabilities for Structural Health Management

Abstract

Analatom is developing a Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system which provides both corrosion and strain measurements. This combination of data provides critical assessment of structural health, leading to prediction of failure. The SHM system’s sensors can be permanently installed in high value structures, such as buildings, bridges, or aircraft, and are connected to data acquisition nodes where initial processing is performed. From the nodes, processed data is transmitted using a ZigBee/IEEE 802.15.4 compliant low-power, self-organizing, self-healing wireless network to a central PC hub for analysis and interpretation. Analatom’s μLPR corrosion sensors have been installed on a mock-up bridge cable at Columbia University as part of a large project on development of a corrosion monitoring system for main cables of suspension bridges. The sensors were placed inside a full-scale mock-up suspension bridge cable located in an environmentally controlled chamber subjected to accelerated corrosion conditions for one year. The μLPR sensors recorded corrosion rate measurement at 8 different locations inside the cable showing excellent agreement with temperature measurements.