Design of Piezoresistive MEMS-Based Accelerometer for Integration with Wireless Sensing Unit for Structural Monitoring

Abstract

Abstract:The use of advanced embedded system technologies such as microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensors and wireless communications hold great promise for measuring the response of civil structures to ambient and external disturbances. In this paper, the design of a high-performance planar piezoresistive MEMS accelerometer is discussed in detail. The piezoresistive accelerometer possesses superior performance characteristics including low noise densities when measuring local structural responses characterized by high-frequency content. A low-cost wireless sensing unit, designed for automated structural monitoring, is utilized to record and wirelessly transmit measurements obtained by the piezoresistive accelerometer. To validate the performance of the wireless monitoring system including the interfaced piezoresistive accelerometer, a five degree-offreedom laboratory test structure is utilized. Introduction:The field of structural engineering can gain great benefit by embracing new technologies being developed in related fields such as microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensors and wireless communications. One area where advanced technology can have an immediate impact is in improving the current state-of-practice of structural monitoring systems. The importance of structural monitoring is growing due to the recognition that monitoring is an effective vehicle for advancing our understanding of civil structures and their response to external loads. For example, research directed towards developing performance-based earthquake engineering design criteria can benefit from wide-spread use of monitoring systems because they provide empirical data for validation of structural and statistical models. Structural monitoring systems are also required for the acquisition of real-time response time-histories that are used by structural health monitoring algorithms to rapidly identify potential damages in a structural system.

Multiresonant Frequency Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters Integrated with High Sensitivity Piezoelectric Accelerometer for Bridge Health Monitoring Applications

“…The axial displacement can be obtained by solving (1) taking into account the boundary conditions given by (3). By integrating (1), one gets …”

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Lessons from monitoring the performance of highway bridges

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Microwave Structural Health Monitoring Sensor for Deformation Measurement of Bended Steel Structures: Influence of Curvature Effect

“…The information from sensors is usually sent by cables to data acquisition system. It increases the cost of installation and maintenance [5][6][7]. In case of large buildings such as bridges, the cost of additional cable installation is high.…”