A Low-Cost Wireless Multinode Vibration Monitoring System for Civil Structures

Abstract

Structural health monitoring (SHM) has gained importance because many structures are approaching the end of their design life and demanding maintenance and monitoring. Low-cost solutions may push forward a widespread implementation of SHM on infrastructures but further investigation is still required to assess the performance of technically accessible, simple, and scalable low-cost systems. This work presents the development and validation of a low-cost vibration-based SHM multinode wireless system, based on the Arduino platform, for identification of modal parameters in civil infrastructures. Full details about the hardware and source code of the system are disclosed in an open repository, allowing its reproduction even by non-specialists in electronics. The sampling frequency stability of the system is experimentally characterized, and interpolation postprocessing algorithms are proposed to solve inherent limitations. The system is validated, and its performance is investigated in impulse and ambient vibration tests performed in a real-scale slab and a high-grade system. The data obtained from the proposed system in impulse tests allowed estimation of natural frequencies within 2%, and MAC values around 0.3 to 0.9, in relation to those estimated with the high-grade system. However, the low-cost system was unable to produce usable data in ambient vibration tests.

Enhancing Wireless Sensor Network in Structural Health Monitoring through TCP/IP Socket Programming-Based Mimic Broadcasting: Experimental Validation

“…Nonetheless, a notable gap remains in the implementation of scheduled tasks to enhance the synchronous operation of sensors, as well as the development of a precise timealignment method to ensure the reliability of acceleration time history data. Our research acknowledges the comprehensive examination of wireless network components conducted by Rocha et al [44], which has contributed to advancements in the SHM applications. However, this previous work falls short in addressing the crucial aspect of transmission ability, central storage, and precise time alignment of acceleration time history data acquired from wireless sensor nodes.…”

“…This choice is motivated by the fact that the RPi0-2W lacks an internal clock and experiences time loss during power outages. The DS3231 RTC module is a well-established component that has been employed in numerous prior research studies [44,58,59]. The selection of the ADXL345 accelerometer is motivated by its widespread use and proven effectiveness in various vibration applications.…”

“…Although, Ref. [44] provides comprehensive details about the hardware and source code of the system in an open repository, there are still limitations in terms of transmission and local storage. Another major challenge arises from the need for simultaneous data collection from multiple sensors, especially at a high sampling rate exceeding 100 Hz, which is typical for vibration-based monitoring.…”