PSI - Issue 64

Victor Procópio de Oliveira et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 64 (2024) 653–660 Author name / Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2019) 000 – 000

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1 Introduction Smart Cities and regions are defined by their remarkable ability to acquire knowledge and innovate, driven by the creativity of their inhabitants and institutions. This advancement goes further than just technological infrastructure, it also includes the wise utilization of resources and sustainable oversight of current infrastructure (ZINNO et al. 2023). One area where this intelligence is particularly evident is in the maintenance of critical structures like bridges and viaducts. These structures, essential for connectivity and economic development, are subject to constant stress from environmental factors. To ensure their continued safety and functionality, advanced monitoring systems like Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) are employed. SHM applies intelligent sensors to regularly observe and assess the structural integrity of these vital assets, allowing for proactive maintenance and a more sustainable use of resources. Pham, Dang, and Kim (2021) describe this notion as the use of various techniques to detect potential issues within aerospace, civil, and mechanical engineering structures. These structures play a vital role in society and are continuously subjected to adverse influences from weather conditions. SHM involves continuous monitoring with smart sensors to assess a structure's safety over time, which helps gain a clearer insight into its performance (PHAM, DANG, KIM, 2021). According to Hassani (2022), Structural Health Monitoring refers to the ongoing, real-time assessment of the structural and operational integrity of infrastructures like buildings, dams, tunnels, bridges, and other constructions. The evolution of this system is rooted in the advancement of technologies for evaluating and monitoring structural conditions through history. Although the term "SHM" is relatively recent, the need to monitor the health of constructions has existed for many decades. The main objective of SHM is to ensure safety and structural integrity, as well as to extend the service life, minimizing the risks associated with unexpected failures. Rytter (1993) divides the structural health monitoring process into five main stages, which are damage presence identification in the structure; the triangulation of the damage within the structure; the classification of the damage nature as well as its severity, and service prediction of the analysed system. For the implementation of a satisfactory structural health monitoring system, it is important to define clearly the objectives intended to be achieved with its use. Zinno (2022) indicates that Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) can evaluate the condition of structures or parts, whether in construction or use, and can detect problems early on, including in areas that are difficult to access. In this context, structural monitoring systems through intelligent sensors can be used for elaboration and planning of maintenance. Ricci (2022) suggests that enhanced systems for stress detection and wear assessment could lead to more decisive and effective intervention strategies. This improvement could prolong the lifespan of structures and cut down on maintenance costs due to the ability to accurately pinpoint areas in need of repair, which would likely minimize the scope of intervention required. In this way, Smart Concrete Sensors enable real-time monitoring of large structures, measuring both elastic and rigid body deformations. For bridges and viaducts, this technology helps control operations and maintain structural safety by monitoring tensions and alerting about potential issues (RICCI et al. 2022). In monitoring the structural health of reinforced and prestressed concrete, "smart" sensors are those that regularly gather data, analyse it on- site, or send details to offsite monitors (D’Alessandro, B irgin, Ubertini, 2022). They aim to offer instantaneous updates on the structure's status, indicating stress levels, changes in shape, and environmental factors like temperature and moisture (Alwis, Bremer, Roth, 2021). Additionally, these smart sensors typically have wireless communication capabilities, allowing for easy integration with centralized monitoring systems (Sofi et al., 2022). They can be programmed to trigger alerts when they detect anomalies or unexpected behaviours, enabling a quick response to potential structural integrity issues. In summary, smart sensors offer more effective and proactive monitoring of reinforced and prestressed concrete structures (Reddy, Kavyateja, Jindal, 2020).According to Chadha (2023), after maintenance operations, the monitoring system can be used to monitor how the structure behaves in relation to the interventions performed, and in extreme weather situations, the system can be used to understand the behaviour of bridge and viaduct designs during adverse wind or rain conditions. Continuous monitoring systems allow for daily monitoring and prediction of the structural health of buildings. During use, these systems can monitor tensions and wear on structural components (CHADHA et al. 2023). Aabid (2021) notes that these sensors can conduct multiple measurements through one device autonomously, unlike traditional monitoring that requires manual data collection.