Smart composites for durable infrastructures û importance of structural health monitoring (SHM)

Abstract

The goal of this contribution is to share some ideas that can bring heavier discussion among the population of bridge researchers and engineers about SHM. For existing infrastructures, an emphasis will be made on how critical the detection of the onset of corrosion as well as its rate of proliferation within steels. In the case of new bridges, design and conception should include smart materials and structures. Smart composites, that are integrating embedded sensors, can bring significant advances in civil engineering applications. So is the case of nano-sensors, that will surely offer additional valuable solutions in the mid-term future. The issues related to standards in using composites in civil engineering are also addressed. © Tsinghua University Press, Beijing and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011.