Aging infrastructure is a growing concern worldwide, with many bridges exceeding 50 years of service, prompting questions about their structural integrity. Over the past decade, the deterioration of bridges has driven extensive research into Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), a tool for early detection of structural deterioration, with particular emphasis on remote-sensing technologies. This review combines a scientometric analysis and a state-of-the-art review to assess recent advancements in the field. From a dataset of 702 publications (2014–2024), 171 relevant papers were analyzed, covering key SHM aspects including sensing devices, data acquisition, processing, damage detection, and reporting. Results show a 433% increase in publications, with the United States leading in output (28.65%), and Glisic, B., with collaborators forming the largest research cluster (11.7%). Accelerometers are the most commonly used sensors (50.88%), and data processing dominates the research focus (50.29%). Key challenges identified include cost (noted in 17.5% of studies), data corruption, and WSN limitations, particularly energy supply. Trends show a notable growth in AI applications (400%), and increasing interest in low-cost, crowdsource-based SHM using smartphones, MEMS, and cameras. These findings highlight both progress and future opportunities in SHM of footbridges.
Liew et al. (Wed,) studied this question.