Web-controlled wireless network sensors for structural health monitoring

Abstract

Wireless network sensors are being implemented for applications in transportation, manufacturing, security, and structural health monitoring. This paper describes an approach for data acquisition for damage detection in structures. The proposed Web-Controlled Wireless Network Sensors (WCWNS) is the integration ofwireless network sensors and a web interface that allows easy remote access and operation from user-friendly HTML screens. The WCWNS is highly flexible in terms of functions and applications. Algorithms and tools for data analysis can be directly installed on and executed from the web server. This means WCWNS will have unlimited capabilities in performing data analysis. Data can be analyzed for damage detection either on site distributed amongst the intelligent sensors or off site either in the web server or at an end users location after downloading from the web server. This feature allows for a variety of health monitoring algorithms to be investigated by researchers of all backgrounds and abilities. In addition, both short-range and long-range communications devices handle data exchange and communications in WCWNS. The system can be setup to operate efficiently in any topological arrangement. Short-range communications devices facilitate fast and low-power local data transfer, while longrange communications devices support high quality long-distance data exchange. The proposed system is demonstrated on an experimental setup.

A Summary Review of Wireless Sensors and Sensor Networks for Structural Health Monitoring

“…A key element of this two-tiered wireless SHM system architecture proposed by Mitchell et al (2002) is its seamless interface to the Internet. Using the World Wide Web (WWW), structural management professionals have the capability to remotely access structural response data, as well as analysis results performed by the monitoring system (Mitchell et al, 2001). The wireless data cluster nodes are equipped with cellular modems for long-range communication (on the order of miles) to a single web server that is accessible from the WWW.…”

Design and selection of wireless structural monitoring systems for civil infrastructures

“…Mitchell et al . 52 proposed a wireless node with two wireless transceivers; one to talk to low-power nodes in each cluster and the other transceiver to communicate over long distances with other clusters. The WiDAQ developed at Los Alamos National Lab 53 features a unique daughter board capable of measuring the impedance of seven piezoelectric sensors per node.…”

Design and Application of a Field Sensing System for Ground Anchors in Slopes

“…The sensor network system for field monitoring of the ground anchors in Figure 2 is based on WCWNS (Web-Controlled Wireless Network Sensors) proposed by Mitchell et al [20]. In the case of slopes with curved surfaces, even though most of the slopes are close to planes, an assumption that the surface of the curved slope is considered as a plane gives a great advantage in composing WSN.…”