Structural Monitoring

TRB's Technical Activities Division has released Transportation Research Circular E-C246: Structural Monitoring as a primer to convey an understanding of how structural monitoring (SM) technology can be used most effectively. The circular is designed to help bridge owners understand the different purposes of structural health monitoring (SHM). Effective use of SHM can help determine the most cost-effective course of action for resolving some difficult performance or deterioration structural issues.

SHM, the deployment of sensing devices on or in certain civil–structural systems, has come to mean different things to different people and organizations. While many have reported on the development of this technology, there are few published reports that document practical, effective use of SHM to support decision-making. This lack of information likely contributes to delaying more widespread implementation of this technology, which has been shown to be an important complement to conventional assessment approaches in certain situations.

For the purposes of the circular, SM is defined as a technology-driven automated solution whereby sensing devices are installed and remain in place on or in a structure with the intention of capturing structural data on a continuous basis over a period of time, for the purpose of objectively and accurately assessing structural performance.