Objectives_template

Module 1: Overview of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

Lecture 2: Introduction to Structural Health Monitoring using Smart Materials

The Lecture Contains:

Structural Health Monitoring

Advantages of Structural Health Monitoring

file:///D|/neha%20backup%20courses%2019-09-2011/structural_health/lecture2/2_1.html [4/4/2013 3:30:46 PM]

Objectives_template

Module 1: Overview of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

Lecture 2: Introduction to Structural Health Monitoring using Smart Materials

The smart materials possess the ability to change their physical properties in a specific manner in response to specific stimulus
input on real time basis. They are light in weight, consume less power and have better reliability. In addition, they can be
embedded in the structures without affecting the structural properties. With such features incorporated in a structure by
embedding functional materials, it is feasible to achieve technological advances such as vibration and noise reduction, shape
control with high pointing accuracy, damage detection, damage mitigation etc.

file:///D|/neha%20backup%20courses%2019-09-2011/structural_health/lecture2/2_2.html [4/4/2013 3:30:46 PM]

Objectives_template

Module 1: Overview of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

Lecture 2: Introduction to Structural Health Monitoring using Smart Materials

Rytter [1993] has broadly categorized damage identification into four levels"

● determination of presence of damage in the structure

● determination of geometric location of the damage
● quantification of the severity of the damage; and
● prediction of remaining service life of the structure.

It is important to detect the incipient damage at the first available signal to take necessary steps for the well being of the structure.
It is necessary to keep track of the changes in the stiffness and other significant mechanical properties of the critical members in
a structure in real time as damage beyond a certain level becomes a safety hazard and may invite downgrading of its use or even
abandoning of the structure.

file:///D|/neha%20backup%20courses%2019-09-2011/structural_health/lecture2/2_3.html [4/4/2013 3:30:46 PM]

Objectives_template

Module 1: Overview of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

Lecture 2: Introduction to Structural Health Monitoring using Smart Materials

Structural Health Monitoring

Structural Health Monitoring has been defined in a number of ways by different groups of researchers such as"

SHM denotes a system with the ability to detect and interpret adverse ‘changes’ in a structure in order to improve reliability and
reduce life-cycle costs. The greatest challenge in designing a SHM system is knowing what ‘changes’ to look for and how to
identify them. [Kessler, 2001]

The process of implementing a damage identification strategy for aerospace, civil and mechanical engineering infrastructure is
referred to as SHM. Damage is defined as changes to the material and/or geometric properties of these systems including
changes to the boundary conditions and system connectivity which adversely affect the performance of the system. [Farrar, 2006]

SHM has also been described as the “acquisition, validation and analysis of technical data to facilitate life-cycle management
decisions.” [Hall, 1999]

SHM aims to give a diagnosis of the state of the constituent material at every moment during the life of a structure, of the different
parts and of the full assembly of these parts constituting the structure as a whole. The state of the structure must remain in the
domain specified in the design although this can be altered by normal ageing, due to usage, by the action of the environment and
by accidental events. [Balageas, 2001]

file:///D|/neha%20backup%20courses%2019-09-2011/structural_health/lecture2/2_4.html [4/4/2013 3:30:46 PM]

Objectives_template

Module 1: Module 1: Overview of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

Lecture 2: Introduction to Structural Health Monitoring using Smart Materials

SHM is a new and improved way of making a non-destructive evaluation. It involves the integration of sensors-probably made of
smart materials, data transmission, computational power and processing ability inside the structure. It makes it possible to
reconsider the design of the structure and the full management of the structure as a single unit and of the structure considered as
a part of wider systems.
The safety and performance of all commercial, civil and military structural systems deteriorate with time. It is very important to
know the state of the structure immediately by non-destructive inspection or by other methods when the structure receives any
foreign object impact. Structural damage detection at the earliest possible stage is very important in critical areas such as in the
aerospace industry to prevent major failures. With the advances in sensor systems, data acquisition, data communication and
computational methodologies, instrumentation based monitoring has been a widely accepted technology to monitor and diagnose
structural health and conditions for civil, aerospace and mechanical structural systems. A schematic arrangement of sub-systems
in a health management system is shown in Figure 2.1.

Figure 2.1: Organization of a SHM system [Balagaes, 2001]

file:///D|/neha%20backup%20courses%2019-09-2011/structural_health/lecture2/2_5.html [4/4/2013 3:30:47 PM]

Objectives_template

Module 1: Module 1: Overview of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

Lecture 2: Introduction to Structural Health Monitoring using Smart Materials

Some of the general attributes of SHM as noted from literature are listed below"

● SHM is the whole process of the design, development and implementation of techniques for the detection, localization
and estimation of damages for monitoring the integrity of structures and machines.
● Since the manual inspection and maintenance scheduling procedures are time consuming, costly, prone to error and
insensitive to small variations in structural health, there is an urgent economic and technological need to deploy SHM
systems for seamless evaluation of structural integrity and reliability.
● SHM offers a shift from schedule driven maintenance to condition based maintenance / predictive maintenance of
structures.
● The concept of SHM is a technology that automatically monitors structural conditions from sensor information in real time
by equipping sensor network and diagnosis algorithms into structures.
● The key requirements of a health monitoring system are that it should be able to detect damaging events, characterize
the nature, extent and seriousness of the damage and respond intelligently within a reasonable time period to mitigate
the ill effect of the damage or to repair the damage.

file:///D|/neha%20backup%20courses%2019-09-2011/structural_health/lecture2/2_6.html [4/4/2013 3:30:47 PM]

Objectives_template

Module 1: Module 1: Overview of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

Lecture 2: Introduction to Structural Health Monitoring using Smart Materials

Advantages of Structural Health Monitoring

SHM is emerging as an increasingly important component of overall Structural Health Management System (SHMS). Non-
destructive Evaluation (NDE) programs are giving way to a network of sensors and actuators embedded or attached to the
structure at the time of fabrication itself. This aims at continuous evaluation of the state of the structure with the help of acquisition
and management of data received through the transducers on real time basis. The information received is useful in taking
decisions regarding future management of the structure related to maintenance requirement, steps needed to prolonging the life
of the structure, to downgrade the use or if needed to discard the use of the structure under consideration. With SHM in place the
structure may be made light weight and cost effective leading to various obvious advantages, apart from getting rid of frequent
unscheduled non destructive evaluations at a great cost and downtime. For SHM system to work effectively, it is important that
the sensors must provide accurate measurements of:

● Reliable detection of defect with low false alarms

● Measurement of defect size and its location
● Magnitude of damage
● Detection of damage even in remote and inaccessible locations of the structure

The above information must be available with knowledge of suitable failure mechanism models for reliable interpretation and
effective prognosis. An estimated saving of more than 40 percent on inspection time of modern fighter aircraft featuring both
metal and composite structure has been reported through the use of smart monitoring system [Figure 2.2].

Figure 2.2: Inspection time saving with implementation of SHM on modern fighter aircrafts

file:///D|/neha%20backup%20courses%2019-09-2011/structural_health/lecture2/2_7.html (1 of 2) [4/4/2013 3:30:47 PM]

Objectives_template

[Bartelds, 1997]

file:///D|/neha%20backup%20courses%2019-09-2011/structural_health/lecture2/2_7.html (2 of 2) [4/4/2013 3:30:47 PM]