Effective SHM Methodology

The implementation of SHM is at various stages of development and maturity and the reliability of a particular system needs to be checked beforehand its installation on a structure. With the advancement in material technology, SHM is becoming a desirable feature to monitor structural integrity with the aim to reduce overall life cost of the structures. It should always be kept in mind that a fully operational SHM system not only depends on suitable selection of sensors but also the processing system that is able to measure the sensor output, analyze the data and provide fruitful information for unambiguous interpretation of the state of the structure. Hence, data processing, sampling frequency, simultaneous sampling, data reduction and storage, real time interpretation of data are the crucial factors that need proper attention for successful implementation of SHM system. The choice of SHM system is structure specific and depends upon its monitoring requirements. Installation of right kind of sensors on the structure, their lifetime protection (against environment and accidental damage), issue of system redundancy and scope for repair in case of damages are of prime interest for embedded systems in a structure which has been designed to serve for longer period. Practical issues of installation – time taken to install sensors, additional mass of sensors and required mass and volume of wiring and their maintenance are the additional concerns in successful implementation of SHM systems.