Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

Structural Health Monitoring refers to monitoring that aims to gain knowledge of the integrity of in-service structures on a continuous real-time basis. Unlike traditional Non-Destructive Evaluation methods, Structural Health Monitoring techniques use the change in measurements at the same location at two different times to identify the condition of the structure.
SHM refers also to sensor networks that monitor the behaviour of structures while they are in service. Otherwise, Non-Destructive Evaluation inspect the characterization and location of damage after the structure is taken out of service temporarily.
In the literature, there are different words that refer to SHM, such as local health monitoring or global health monitoring.
The definition and goals of SHM have been changing as technologies evolve. Consequently, several definitions have been proposed for SHM, they coincide in several features that are essential for SHM. These include:

• real-time monitoring of –
• in-service structures using –
• an array or network of sensors to collect data the can be used to –
• represent changes in the condition of a structure over time. The data is –
• communicated over a network, and –
• data processing algorithms may be used, if possible, for damage localization, classification and assessment, as well as residual life prediction.