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Civionics for structural health monitoring

Article  in  Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering · February 2011

DOI: 10.1139/l06-159

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430

Civionics for structural health monitoring1

E. Rivera, A.A. Mufti, and D.J. Thomson

Abstract: As the design and construction of civil structures continue to evolve, it is becoming imperative that these
structures be monitored for their health. To meet this need, the discipline of civionics has emerged. It involves the
application of electronics to civil structures and aims to assist engineers in realizing the full benefits of structural
health monitoring (SHM). Therefore, the goal of the civionics specifications outlined in this work is to ensure that the
installation and operation of fibre optic sensors are successful. This paper will discuss several lessons learned during
the implementation of health monitoring systems for civil structures. The monitoring of these structures primarily
motivated the writing of these specifications. Creating a standard procedure for SHM eliminated several ambiguities,
such as fibre sensor specifications and the types of cables required. As a result, it is expected that these specifications
will help ensure that the sensors will survive the installation process and eventually prove their value over years of
structural health monitoring. The civionics fibre optic sensor specifications include the requirements for fibre sensors
and their corresponding readout units. They also include specifications for the cables, conduits, junction boxes,
termination, and environmental protection.
Key words: civionics, structural health monitoring, fibre optic sensors, specifications.
Résumé : À mesure que la conception et la construction de structures de génie civil continuent d’évoluer, il devient
impératif de surveiller l’état de ces structures. Le domaine de la civionique a donc vu le jour. Il implique l’utilisation
de l’électronique dans les structures de génie civil et vise à aider les ingénieurs à tirer plein avantage de la surveillance
de l’état des structures (« SHM »). Le but des spécifications de la civionique soulignées dans ce travail est donc
d’assurer que l’installation et le fonctionnement de capteurs à fibres optiques sont réussis. Cet article aborde plusieurs
leçons apprises lors de l’implantation des systèmes de la surveillance de l’état des structures de génie civil. Le suivi de
ces structures a principalement motivé la formulation de ces spécifications. Créer une procédure normalisée pour la sur-
veillance de l’état des structures élimine plusieurs ambiguïtés, telles que les spécifications des capteurs en fibre et les
types de câbles requis. Ces spécifications devaient donc aider à assurer que les capteurs survivront à l’installation et
prouveront leur valeur au cours des années pour la surveillance de l’état des structures. Les spécifications des capteurs
à fibres optiques pour la civionique comprennent les exigences pour les capteurs en fibre et leurs unités respectives de
lecture. Elles comprennent également les spécifications des câbles, des conduits, des boîtes de connexion, des terminai-
sons et de la protection environnementale.
Mots-clés : civionique, surveillance de l’état des structures, capteurs à fibres optiques, spécifications.

[Traduit par la Rédaction] Rivera et al. 437

Introduction structures. It is similar to the term avionics that is used in

Intelligent Sensing for Innovative Structures (ISIS) Can-
ada intends to introduce significant innovations in the design
and construction of civil engineering structures. For such
changes in design and construction to be accepted, it is im-
perative that the health of these innovative structures be
monitored.
Civionics is a new term coined from civil–electronics,
which is derived from the application of electronics to civil
the aerospace industry. For structural health monitoring to
become part of civil structural engineering, it should include
civionics.
As a step towards achieving this goal, ISIS Canada is de-
veloping a new discipline that integrates civil engineering
and electrophotonics under the combined banner of civionics
(Mufti 2003).
The new discipline of civionics must be developed by
civil structural engineers and electrophotonics engineers to

Received 25 November 2005. Revision accepted 2 November 2006. Published on the NRC Research Press Web site at cjce.nrc.ca
on 12 April 2007.
E. Rivera2 and A.A. Mufti. ISIS Canada Research Network, University of Manitoba, Agricultural and Civil Engineering Bldg.,
A250 – 96 Dafoe Road, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
D.J. Thomson. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Manitoba, 15 Gilson Street, Winnipeg,
MB R3T 5V6, Canada.
Written discussion of this article is welcomed and will be received by the Editor until 31 July 2007.
1
This article is one of a selection of papers in this Special Issue on Intelligent Sensing for Innovative Structures (ISIS Canada).
2
Corresponding author (e-mail: rivera@ee.umanitoba.ca).

Can. J. Civ. Eng. 34: 430–437 (2007) doi:10.1139/L06-159 © 2007 NRC Canada
Rivera et al.
lend validity and integrity to the process. Civionics will pro-
duce engineers with the knowledge to build “smart” struc-
tures containing the necessary structural health monitoring
(SHM) equipment to provide much-needed structural health
information to avoid major structural failures. Although
many structures around the world have been instrumented
with optical sensors in the last decade, civionics aims to en-
sure that the design and installation of these health monitor-
ing systems is such that they will continue to perform over
time. This discipline will, thereby, assist engineers and oth-
ers to realize the full benefits of monitoring civil engineer-
ing structures.
Realistically, it is true that consulting engineers and con-
tractors will only invest in the development of the expertise
created by civionics graduates when they can be assured that
short- and long-term business prospects are good in this
field. The ISIS Canada experience of integrating fibre optic
sensors (FOS) and fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP) into in-
novative structures that have been built across Canada dem-
onstrates that these opportunities exist.
The objective of SHM is to monitor the in situ behaviour
of a structure accurately and efficiently. The data gathered
will provide information to help assess the performance of
the structure under service loads, detect damage or deterio-
ration, and assess the condition of the structure. For SHM
to be successful and useful, specifications must be written
on the entire process starting from the system design to
data collection. The civionics specifications include the
technical requirements for the SHM system, including fibre
optic sensors, cables, conduits, junction boxes, and the con-
trol room. A specification for data collection and storage is
currently being developed by ISIS Canada as well. This pa-
per will discuss the civionics specifications with respect to
several case studies of structural health monitoring projects
in Canada.
Background
Structural health monitoring continues to grow as a field
of increasing interest for civil engineers, and fibre optic sen-
sor technology is thought to be the most promising alterna-
tive to conventional sensors. Presently, fibre optic sensors
are used in a wide range of applications, such as strain mea-
surement in civil infrastructure (Tennyson et al. 2000), oil
well logging (McCarthy 2000), oil pipeline monitoring (Ten-
nyson 2002), and composite structures (Seim et al. 1999).
Fibre optic sensors are classified according to the sensing
technique by which they operate. These techniques are based
on modulating the intensity, phase, or polarization of the
light passing through the sensor. Fibre sensors are now being
used to monitor various parameters such as strain, tempera-
ture, pressure, chemical composition, deformation, and cor-
rosion.
Traditionally used in the communications field, optical
fibres have garnered interest in structural health monitoring
because of their numerous advantages, such as small size,
low loss, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) immunity.
Conventional instrumentation techniques, such as electrical
strain gauges, are susceptible to corrosion and limited in
transmission distances unlike their optical counterparts. One
disadvantage of optical sensors is their higher cost compared
431
with electrical-based sensors. However, this cost is often
justified in long-term monitoring projects where the life
span of optical sensors is longer than that of conventional
sensors.
A typical optical fibre consists of three layers. The inner
glass core is surrounded by a glass cladding that is protected
by an outer plastic coating. In a fibre optic sensor, the sensor
portion often consists of bare fibre, while the remaining fi-
bre lead is protected with some form of jacketing. Owing to
their tenuous nature, fibre optic sensors should be treated
differently than the conventional electrical sensor. Conse-
quently, specifications have been written on the installation
of these sensor systems in a construction environment. The
civionics specifications focus on fibre optic sensors and their
ancillary equipment.
One of the mandates of ISIS Canada is to facilitate the
transfer of technology from university research laboratories
to actual practice in the civil infrastructure industry. Over
the past few years, researchers from the ISIS network have
installed numerous fibre optic sensors in demonstration field
projects across Canada. Researchers have also observed the
installation of fibre sensors by industry contractors. As a
result, several lessons have been learned from these projects
in regards to the installation of fibre optic sensors in civil
infrastructure. These lessons have been addressed in the
Civionics specifications manual developed by ISIS Canada
(Rivera et al. 2004). The following sections will discuss
some of the issues involved in fibre optic sensor and system
installation.
Fibre optic sensor installation
Fibre optic sensors are ideal in long-term monitoring of
civil structures because they are corrosion resistant and do
not drift over time. Thus, the use of fibre sensors in SHM
applications has increased over the past decade.
The installation of fibre optic sensors varies widely. Fibre
sensors are now available preattached to specific materials,
such as fibre-reinforced polymer bars and patches, to make
the installation of sensors easier. However, there are many
cases where bare fibre sensors are installed directly on
reinforcement bars. Installation of sensors in these cases
involves proper surface preparation, including sanding and
cleaning of the surface. The sensor is then placed on the sur-
face and attached at specific locations using instant glue. Ep-
oxy is prepared and painted over the entire fibre to bond it to
the surface. Thus, the purpose of the instant glue is to hold
the sensor in place while the epoxy cures. After the epoxy is
cured, several layers of protective coatings, such as nitrile
rubber sealant, Teflon® tape, and butyl rubber sheet, are
placed on the fibre. The materials used in the installation of
the sensor should be rated for field conditions to ensure
long-term performance.
One important issue that must be taken into account is en-
suring the bond between the concrete and the instrumented
reinforcement bars. For long bars where the bond is not an
issue, rubber splicing tape can be used as the outer protec-
tive coating on the sensor (Fig. 1). On shorter bars, fine ag-
gregate is attached to the outside of the bar to a ensure a
proper bond between the concrete and the reinforcement bar
(Fig. 2).
© 2007 NRC Canada
432 Can. J. Civ. Eng. Vol. 34, 2007

Fibre optic sensor cables Fig. 1. Protective tape on fibre optic sensor installed on glass-
fibre-reinforced polymer reinforcement bar.
In past field projects, the attachment of a fibre optic sen-
sor to a structure, such as on a reinforcement bar, often oc-
curs with little difficulty. However, it is during egress of the
cable that the fiber optic sensor is most vulnerable. Since the
optical lead cable serves as the means through which the
sensor is interrogated, it is important that the light signal
traveling through the cable is not interrupted. The scenario
shown in Fig. 3 demonstrates one problem that has been ob-
served in a field application.
In Fig. 3, the fibre optic sensor has been installed on a re-
inforcement bar. However, the optical lead cable does not
have any type of protective jacketing. As a result, the section
of optical cable directly embedded in concrete will be sus-
ceptible to damage during the concrete pour and curing. The
section of optical cable installed in protective conduit will
also be vulnerable to damage. Sharp bends in the optical ca- Fig. 2. Fine aggregate as protective coating on fibre optic sensor
ble may be created by other sensor cables that are installed installed on glass-fibre-reinforced polymer reinforcement bar.
in conduit along with the optical cable. Since these sensor
cables are stiffer and have larger diameters than the optical
cable, it is easy to create 90° bends in the fibre, thus pre-
venting light from traveling through the fibre.
Fibre optic cables should have proper jacketing when in-
stalled on a structure. Such armoured jacketing consists of
woven-steel wire and corrugated-steel tape. These layers
provide mechanical strength and protection during the
embedment of the cable in concrete.

Fibre optic sensor handling

Typical construction materials, such as reinforcement
bars, are often constructed to withstand the harsh and
demanding construction environment. Therefore, sensors
should be very robust as well. Figure 4 shows an example of
the instrumented reinforcement bars in a construction envi- Fig. 3. Fibre optic sensor installed on glass-fibre-reinforced poly-
ronment where fibre optic sensors and strain gauges have mer reinforcement bar.
been previously installed on the glass-fibre-reinforced poly-
mer (GFRP) reinforcement bars. This is usually done when
the site conditions, such as the weather and through traffic,
are not appropriate for sensor installation. The purpose of
this preinstallation is to help ensure the survivability of the
sensors during the construction process. However, as seen in
Fig. 4, the reinforcement bars with the attached sensors have
not been carefully placed in a location that is isolated from
through traffic. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the
sensors on a construction site area are always protected.

Ancillary equipment
The ancillary equipment in a structural health monitoring
system is the key component to the survival of the sensors
during egress and over long-term monitoring. The main
components involved include conduits, junction boxes, and
termination cabinets.
Conduits are typically used to run instrumentation cables
from the sensor location to the junction box or termination
room. Conduits are also required for the protection of the
sensor cables. Since conduits are usually embedded within
the structure, it is important that conduits run through the
structure in a manner that does not adversely affect its struc-
tural integrity. For example, conduits passing through a slab,
wall, or beam shall not significantly impair the strength of
the construction. Rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) conduit is
typically used because it does not initiate chemical reaction
with concrete; on the other hand, aluminum conduit corrodes
because it initiates an electrolytic reaction with concrete.
In a typical monitoring system, the cables from different
sensor locations are run through conduits to a junction box
where they are directed to a primary conduit that will carry
the cables to the cable termination location (Fig. 5). How-

© 2007 NRC Canada

Rivera et al.
Fig. 4. Fibre optic sensors and strain gauges attached to glass-
fibre-reinforced polymer reinforcement bars.
ever, as seen in Fig. 5, the electrical and optical cables are
both directed into the same junction box. This poses greater
problems for the optical cables because electrical cables usu-
ally have a larger diameter and are stiffer than optical ca-
bles.
This example demonstrates the importance of using sepa-
rate conduits for electrical and optical cables except when a
conduit is running from a single location with multiple sen-
sors to the nearest junction box. In this case, the conduit
shall be large enough to accommodate all the sensors in
accordance to the applicable electrical code and the optical
fibre cable shall have outer armour for increased protection.
Armoured fibre optic cable consists of a woven-steel wire
mesh and steel tape. These protective layers help prevent ac-
cidental damage to the optical fibre. Colder temperatures can
also cause standard indoor rated 3 mm jacketing to contract
and create microbending in the fibre. Microbends in the fi-
bre prevent light from traveling through the fibre and thus
make it almost impossible to interrogate the sensor. There-
fore, the optical cable shall also be rated to the appropriate
temperature range.
Junction boxes can be used to redirect cables into various
conduits or act as a location to connect sensor cables to ex-
tension cables. Like conduits, PVC junction boxes are typi-
cally used to prevent corrosion from occurring (Fig. 6).
When creating loops in the multicable junction box, optical
loops shall rest on top of the electrical cable loops. Extra
care shall be taken to ensure that 90° bends are not created
in the optical cables. The minimum bend radius shall be in
accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines. The current
industry standard is a minimum bend radius of 30 mm for fi-
bre optic cable and eight times the overall cable diameter for
communications cable (Fig. 7).
One method of reducing the risk of damage to sensor ca-
bles is to implement the system such that lead cables run
only from the sensor to the localized junction box. At this
point, connections are made between the sensor cables and
extension cables that run from the junction box to the termi-
nation site. This method reduces the pulling strain on the
sensor lead and makes it possible to test the integrity of all
the sensors and cables at the junction box before the final
field connections are made.
The last component of the ancillary equipment of a SHM
system is the termination site, which is usually comprised of
433
a cabinet attached to the structure. The type of the cabinet
required depends on the type of monitoring that will be done
on the structure (Fig. 8). For example, cabinets shall house
the sensor cables only if periodic measurements are to be
taken. However, for long-term monitoring purposes, the cab-
inet must house the sensor cables and data acquisition sys-
tem(s). In these cases, heating, power, air conditioning, and
lighting are required as well. Since the data is transferred via
internet in most cases, high-speed internet access is usually
necessary. In rare cases, an entire room may be built to
house the sensor cables and data acquisition system(s).
Data acquisition
One of the major components in a SHM system is the data
acquisition unit, as it is often the most expensive element in
the monitoring system. The type of unit used varies from
project to project. There are currently numerous products in
the market that each have different specifications for their
measurement capabilities, including resolution and accuracy.
Decisions have to be made on which unit suits which pro-
ject. Project conditions are also a factor in this decision.
Some of these conditions include the type of monitoring in-
tended (i.e., periodic or continuous), the sampling rate
desired, and the type of sensor system installed (i.e., multi-
plexed or single point). Of course, significant research is re-
quired in choosing a data acquisition system that meets both
stability and reliability of recorded data criteria.
Implementation of civionics
In the spring of 2004, researchers at the University of
Manitoba constructed a full-scale second-generation steel-
free bridge deck. The bridge deck was the first of its kind to
fully incorporate a civionics system designed and imple-
mented according to the requirements in the Civionics speci-
fications manual to monitor the deck’s behaviour during
destructive testing. Throughout the construction of the
bridge deck, the entire installation of the civionics system
was carried out by research engineers to simulate an actual
implementation of such a system in a large-scale construc-
tion environment. One major concern that consulting engi-
neers have raised is the impact that a civionics system that
uses conduit, junction boxes, and other electrical ancillary
protection will have when embedded and installed externally
on full-scale infrastructure. Thus, the full-scale destructive
testing of the second-generation steel-free bridge deck will
provide engineers with the information necessary to address
the constructability and structural integrity issues. This steel-
free GFRP-hybrid bridge deck was 9 m long and 5 m wide
and was divided into three sections that were reinforced with
steel, GFRP, and CFRP, respectively (Fig. 9). A bottom layer
of GFRP reinforcement was placed in the entire deck to pro-
vide crack control.
The complete civionics system for the test bridge deck at
the University of Manitoba included rigid PVC conduit and
junction boxes to provide protection for the network of sen-
sors embedded within the deck and all of the sensors in-
stalled externally on the steel straps and steel bridge girders.
The deck was instrumented with electrical strain gauges and
fibre optic sensors that were attached to the reinforcement
© 2007 NRC Canada
434 Can. J. Civ. Eng. Vol. 34, 2007

Fig. 5. Optical and electrical cables in a junction box.

Fig. 6. Polyvinyl chloride junction box and conduit in bridge Fig. 8. (a) Termination cabinet for long-term monitoring.
haunches. (b) Termination cabinet for periodic monitoring.

Fig. 7. Sensor cables organized in junction box.

bars. The placement of the system of conduits and junction

boxes is important because it should minimize its effect on
the structural integrity of the bridge deck, as well as mini-
mize the amount of conduit and exposed cable within the
deck. In this case, the conduits were placed within the
haunches of the deck (Fig. 10).
The sizing of the conduit was determined using the
civionics specifications. The conduit size and junction boxes
required for this project were 1.5 in. (1 in. = 25.4 mm) in
diameter. It should be noted that for research purposes this tem for an actual steel-free bridge deck would contain a
bridge deck was equipped with several additional sensors minimal number of embedded sensors, thus reducing the
and that the conduit was sized accordingly. A civionics sys- amount and size of conduit required. For a typical installa-
© 2007 NRC Canada
Rivera et al.
Fig. 9. Bridge deck configuration.
Fig. 10. Conduits and junction boxes located in bridge deck.
tion on an actual bridge, the conduit would be placed by a
local electrical contractor and all of the necessary wires
would be terminated at the junction boxes. A short time
prior to the casting of the bridge deck, and after all major
placement of reinforcement has been completed, qualified
personnel would be required to install the specified sensors
and make the appropriate connections at the junction box to
the wires already supplied and installed by the electrical
contractor. As shown in Fig. 11, field installation of the sen-
sors requires the application of several protective coatings,
and the exposed lead wires should be located in such a man-
ner as to prevent damage during placement of concrete (i.e.,
wires should be placed on the underside of the reinforce-
ment and be properly secured). The sensors embedded on
the reinforcing bars within the bridge deck allow engineers
to monitor live-load stresses during and after construction.
Surface-mounted sensors located on the external steel
straps and on the steel girders also provide engineers with
pertinent information related to the bridge’s overall perfor-
mance. However, these sensors must be properly protected
from vandalism and local environmental conditions. There-
fore, a system of rigid PVC conduits and junction boxes was
permanently installed on the steel girders and steel straps.
The conduit and lead wires were installed by an electrical
contractor after all the formwork was removed. The wires
must be properly labeled to ensure that the correct locations
of all sensors are known at a later date. Once again, quali-
435
Fig. 11. Protected sensors complete with properly located and
secured lead wires.
fied personnel perform the installation of the necessary
gauges within the PVC boxes and splice all lead wires.
The size of the conduit and junction boxes on the straps
were 1 in. in diameter to provide enough space in the junction
box to install the sensor. The back of the PVC junction box
had to be removed to facilitate surface mounting of the sensors
(Fig. 12). The purpose of the junction box was two-fold: to
provide environmental protection for the sensor and to allow
access to the sensor in the future, if necessary. Strain gauges
installed on the straps will allow engineers to monitor live-load
strains. Flexible conduit measuring 0.75 in. in diameter was
used with the junction boxes on the top and bottom flanges of
the steel girder (Fig. 13). The purpose of the gauges installed
on the girders is to determine the live-load stress ranges and the
transverse-load distribution pattern. Also, the gauges will allow
engineers at the University of Manitoba to determine exactly if
placement of the conduit within the haunches has any signifi-
cant effect on the composite action between the girders and the
deck.
The sensors were installed according to the civionics
specifications. Lead wires running from the sensor termi-
nated at the junction box and were spliced to the extension
cables that ran through the conduit to the data acquisition
system. As a result, the junction boxes were filled with only
the minimum amount of cables necessary. Also, the fibre op-
tic cables had outer armour that provided additional protec-
tion to the cable. Thus, all sensors survived the installation
process and casting of the deck. This project has demon-
© 2007 NRC Canada
436
Fig. 12. Polyvinyl chloride junction box attached to steel strap.
Fig. 13. Rigid polyvinyl choride conduit and junction boxes for
externally installed gauge.
strated that the civionics specifications do assist in the suc-
cess of the installation of fibre optic sensors in a structure.
Discussion
In summary, the civionics system involves:
(1) determining what aspect of the structure is to be moni-
tored, such as the strain in the girders and reinforcement
bars or the vibration of structures using accelerometers
(2) choosing the types of sensors required as well as the
corresponding data acquisition system
(3) deciding on the exact location and number of sensors as
well as the data communication technique, and the prep-
aration of drawings
Once the major decisions have been made, the actions that
need to be taken are the purchase of sensors and ancillary
equipment. One of the main goals of the civionics specifica-
tions is to reduce the mistakes made when ordering the sen-
sors and provide assistance with the installation of sensors
and cables, connection to data acquisition system, and oper-
ation of the SHM system.
The key to ensuring the reliability of the SHM system is
through consistent maintenance. This involves the routine
maintenance of the civionics system, particularly the sen-
sors, cables, connectors, and areas subject to environmental
damage and deterioration. This activity can be undertaken
either by the owners or by consulting engineers under a
long-term contract. For example, a qualified civionics con-
tractor would maintain the hardware, including the sensors,
Can. J. Civ. Eng. Vol. 34, 2007
communications, and the data acquisition system, while a
qualified civionics consulting engineer would maintain the
software, including the data processing.
Finally, the civionics system concludes with the data man-
agement section. This involves the collection of data, either
remotely or directly, filtering out extraneous data, converting
data to bridge responses, interpretation of responses with re-
gard to bridge health, and advice for future data collection
and interpretation.
Conclusion
Structural health monitoring is a rapidly growing field of
interest in the civil engineering industry. However, only
through successful SHM projects will the public be con-
vinced that the monitoring of structures is a beneficial un-
dertaking. This paper has reviewed several case studies in
which fibre optic sensors were used for the health monitor-
ing of structures in Canada. The problems that arose were
discussed, and recommendations intended to avoid these
mistakes in the future were provided. These recommenda-
tions are found in the Civionics specifications manual com-
piled by ISIS Canada. This manual was developed to assist
practicing engineers, suppliers, and contractors with the ap-
plication of SHM techniques to new and existing structures
being rehabilitated. It provides guidelines for fibre optic sen-
sors and their ancillaries based on extensive experience
gained in numerous field installations. The entire structural
health monitoring process, beginning with system design
and concluding with data collection, is addressed in this
manual. The Civionics specifications include the technical
requirements for the SHM system including fibre optic sen-
sors, cables, conduits, junction boxes, and the control room.
This manual was used in the instrumentation of a bridge
deck at the McQuade Structures lab at the University of
Manitoba and resulted in a 100% success rate in the survival
of both the optical and electrical sensors. It is our hope that
this manual will improve the manner in which fibre optic
sensors are installed and further increase the chances of a
successful civionics monitoring system. Civionics combined
with structural health monitoring will provide engineers with
the feedback necessary to aid in optimizing design tech-
niques and understanding our infrastructures’ performance,
behaviour, and state of condition.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the Intelligent
Sensing for Innovative Structures (ISIS) Canada network for
supporting this research.
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