A wireless vibrating wire sensor node for continuous structural health monitoring

Vibrating wire sensors (VWS) are generally used for strain measurements of structures in buildings and civil infrastructures. In this paper, a wireless vibrating wire sensor node is developed which can measure resonance frequencies from vibrating wire sensors and can remotely communicate the frequencies by wireless. The wireless sensor node consists of a sensor module, which excites the vibrating wire and reads the resonance frequencies, a wireless communication module, which transmits the wire's resonance frequencies to the user or administrator, and a processor that controls the two modules. The wireless sensor node has the following characteristics: it has multiple channels to enable measurement of multiple vibrating wire sensors (up to four) using a single sensor node; it has a power-saving feature that enables operation for up to one year; and lastly, the wireless unit uses the 424 MHz UHF (ultra-high frequency) band with good diffraction that has an effect on minimizing the influence of impediments such as structural or nonstructural elements. The wireless sensor node is tested in terms of its measurement precision and its wireless communication performance. As a result, it is confirmed that the node enables the long-term structural health monitoring of buildings and infrastructures.