A Review of Low-Cost Sensor-Based Structural Health Monitoring Systems for Beam-Level Experimental Testing

Author

Kathirvannan SN, Dharanaivel G, Dr. A. Vennila

Abstract

 Structural health monitoring (SHM) provides a systematic approach for measuring structural response, identifying abnormal behavior, and supporting maintenance decisions. Conventional laboratory and field monitoring systems can provide high accuracy, but sensors, signal-conditioning hardware, data-acquisition systems, and software may be expensive for small-scale educational experiments. This review examines low-cost sensing and open-source data-acquisition technologies for beam-level structural monitoring, with emphasis on load cells, strain sensors, displacement measurement, microcontrollers, and warning systems. Recent literature shows that strain-based sensing remains important because strain is associated with stress, deformation, stiffness changes, and structural performance, while load cells provide direct measurement of applied force. Arduino-class microcontrollers and low-cost analog interfaces have also been demonstrated for laboratory and field measurements. The review compares conventional and low-cost approaches, identifies practical limitations such as calibration, electrical noise, installation, sampling rate, environmental effects, and validation, and proposes a compact architecture for a miniature wooden beam using a load cell positioned above the beam, a surface-mounted strain sensor, an Arduino controller, and controlled loading by weight stones or a hydraulic syringe. The evidence indicates that such systems are valuable for experimental education and preliminary SHM research when calibration and validation are performed.

Keywords

Structural health monitoring; low-cost sensors; strain measurement; load cell; Arduino; data acquisition; beam testing; experimental methods; early warning.

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References

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