A cost-effective approach for PZT-enable structural health monitoring of RC infrastructures

In recent years, there has been growing research interest in monitoring infrastructure's structural health, primarily driven by the aging of existing structures. Additionally, climate change could significantly accelerate the deterioration of reinforced concrete (RC), particularly in urban environments with elevated CO₂ concentrations, thereby raising the risk of premature infrastructure failure, compromising their structural safety and resilience. Implementing structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques provides valuable insights into the structural integrity of such assemblages. Among other techniques, the electromechanical impedance (EMI) method has gained increasing recognition as a promising approach for SHM in reinforced concrete (RC) infrastructures. This research outlines the application of an autonomous and cost-effective SHM system on a real- life RC bridge. Specifically, 28 piezoelectric (PZT) transducers were installed on the bridge deck, and the variations in their EMI responses were used to continuously monitor the bridge's structural health. The proposed SHM system consists of three custom-made monitoring devices, each capable of capturing the EMI responses from up to eight PZT transducers and transmitting the data in real time to a database via the Internet. Additionally, a base station system was employed to provide an internet connection through a 4G hotspot, while renewable energy was supplied via a solar panel. This paper aims to demonstrate the developed cost-effective SHM technique for RC infrastructures, offering practical insights into monitoring solutions that could be widely applied in the future.