Real-time autonomous system for structural and environmental monitoring of dynamic events

Abstract

This paper deals with the definition and analysis of a complete electronic system for the detection and monitoring of stability characteristics in complex scenarios such as structural elements or environmental events. For instance, it may be successfully adopted to detect rockfall events on protection barriers, as well as to monitor landslides or the integrity of structures like bridges and buildings. The system is completely autonomous thanks to the implementation of an energy harvesting architecture and realizes a wireless sensor network whose nodes are auto-configurable, making it possible to freely arrange them in situ. The continuously collected data are relative to acceleration, inclination, position, and temperature of each node. These data are transmitted and stored on a remote web server devoted to the automatic management of alarms and accessible for data consulting. The proposed system is currently operating in different experimental fields in Italy.