Wireless Sensor Networks in Structural Health

Monitoring Based on WiFi Technology

Abstract
Wireless sensor networks for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) application

have attracted much research interest over the last few years because of their
great potential to monitor and maintain the safety of civil structures.

This paper puts forward an effective, feasible and reliable wireless sensor

system based on Wifi technology, which can support monitoring structural

health such as buildings, bridges, roads.

The hardware and software structure of the monitoring system are introduced

first, and then the system performance under the multi-hop network topology
and TPSN algorithm are analyzed, which is used for enhancing the precision of
time synchronization.

The experiment shows that the performance of the wireless sensor system

achieves the expected effect by comparison with the wired monitoring system.

EXISTING SYSTEM
The

current bridge health monitoring system uses wire for data

communication. Installing data cable is a cumbersome job, often increasing
costs of sensor installation, maintenance, and repair.

Cable based sensors have many shortcomings that could be minimized or

eliminated altogether, should a wireless sensor be implemented.

They are, as follows;

(1) installing communication and power supply cables for the sensors requires a
lot of costs (according to the Yongjong Bridge facility manager, cable wiring
accounts for 50% of the total installation cost);
(2) installation of steel pipelines that protect those cables is also expensive;

3) changes in cable temperatures cause sensor data distortions;

(4) hard-to-eliminate noises occur at connections between sensors and cables;
(5) a wire-based system has more chances for failure since it has more
independent components, such as data logger, sensor, and long cabling,
which can be integrated into one replaceable unit in a wireless sensor
system.

PROPOSED SYSTEM
In proposed system , the wireless solution that overcomes these shortcomings

is presented. The wireless sensors offer the following advantages:

(1) the installation cost is low, as the sensors do not require wiring;
(2) no additional supporting structures, such as conduits for cable are required;
(3) sensors are easily replaceable should they malfunction;
(4) by using Ad-Hoc and Multi-Hop, the reorganization of a sensor network is
relatively easy.

BLOCK DIAGRAM