Remote Assessment of the Serviceability of Infrastructural Assets

Abstract

The continued serviceability of structures and infrastructural assets over time is a very important component of design and construction. Traditionally, structural health monitoring techniques utilize sensors and field inspections to capture distress and defects in structural members to allow for repairs and retrofitting prior to catastrophic collapse. However, these processes are usually quite expensive (financially and time wise), making it difficult to assess all assets. Rather, it necessary to identify specific assets requiring field investigations. To do this, an ability to remotely compute the real time serviceability of these structures and periodically update their condition to determine the criticality of field inspections is important. Several methods and processes have been proposed for this purpose with respect to different loading conditions and type of structures. This chapter will offer insight into remote monitoring of structures and infrastructure over time as they sustain damage from varied loading conditions.