Wireless and embedded nanotechnology-based systems for structural integrity monitoring of civil structures: a feasibility study

Abstract

Civil structures are prone to continuous and uncontrollable damage processes during their designed service life span. These damage processes are attributed to poor maintenance and aging. To improve safety, a continuous monitoring system is needed. Several inspections methods are available for evaluating the condition of civil structures; however, they are typically employed infrequently due to high cost and time constraints. In this paper, the feasibility of using wireless and embedded nanotechnology-based systems for monitoring of civil structures is presented. As a proof of concept, two types of wireless devices were fabricated and evaluated through a research program to determine if their wireless signals can be used to monitor the integrity of concrete structures. These devices are MEMS sensors designed to monitor temperature and moisture inside concrete material and long gauge nanotube sensors for crack detection. The wireless response of the embedded devices was evaluated and the results are presented herein.