Rapid-to-deploy reconfigurable wireless structural monitoring systems using extended-range wireless sensors

Abstract

Wireless structural monitoring systems consist of networks of wireless sensors installed to record the loading environment and corresponding response of large-scale civil structures. Wireless monitoring systems are desirable because they eliminate the need for costly and labor intensive installation of coaxial wiring in a structure. However, another advantageous characteristic of wireless sensors is their installation modularity. For example, wireless sensors can be easily and rapidly removed and reinstalled in new locations on a structure if the need arises. In this study, the reconfiguration of a rapid-to-deploy wireless structural monitoring system is proposed for monitoring short-and medium-span highway bridges. Narada wireless sensor nodes using power amplified radios are adopted to achieve long communication ranges. A network of twenty Narada wireless sensors is installed on the Yeondae Bridge (Korea) to measure the global response of the bridge to controlled truck loadings. To attain acceleration measurements in a large number of locations on the bridge, the wireless monitoring system is installed three times, with each installation concentrating sensors in one localized area of the bridge. Analysis of measurement data after installation of the three monitoring system configurations leads to reliable estimation of the bridge modal properties, including mode shapes.

Permanent installation of wireless structural monitoring systems in infrastructure systems

“…The Narada directly interfaces with a mounted radio using the Chipcon CC2420 transceiver chip operating on the 2.4 GHz IEEE 802.15.4 standard. The radio's typical communication range is 100 m; however, by using a power-amplifi ed transceiver, the communication range increases to over 500 m. 32 Narada contains four data acquisition channels, thus enabling data collection from any 5V sensor, which feeds directly into an on-board 16-bit ADC. In this study, the tri-axial MEMSIC CXL02TG03 accelerometer was used to measure the ambient vibrations of the bridge.…”

Optimal data collection of multi-radio multi-channel multi-power wireless sensor networks for structural monitoring applications: A simulation study

“…Addressing the SHM data collection, many wireless sensor platforms were proposed: Imote2, Narada, and so on . These platforms are commonly based on single‐radio single‐channel (SR‐SC) WSNs, which are suitable for small‐scale monitoring or low data rate monitoring tasks.…”

A low-noise, real-time, wireless data acquisition system for structural monitoring applications

“…Wireless sensor platforms can be categorized into three classes: the first class (internal sensors class) comes with specific integrated sensors ; the second class (external sensors class) does not show any specific sensor integrated ; and the third class is hybrid, i.e., it has some specific sensors integrated but also offers some analog or digital signal input channels for external sensors . The internal sensors platforms come with their sensors and therefore need to be redesigned if other types of sensors are required.…”