Sensametrics: “Health” of Structures

Wireless technology has changed our ability to monitor many different conditions, including human health. This approach can also be applied to monitoring the “health” of structures such as bridges, buildings, and plants - with the aim of identifying structural weakening before it can lead to tragic consequences like those that occurred at the De Gaulle Airport in Paris, the Alaskan Pipeline, the levees in New Orleans, and even the Big Dig in Boston.

All structures undergo changes over time. Actively tracking those changes can be useful for scheduling preventative maintenance or to prepare for a structural failure. Additionally, it is important to measure the integrity of structures after catastrophic events such as earthquakes, hurricanes, or blasts. Sensametrics, a Palo Alto company founded in 2002, is developing a wireless monitoring device to monitor structural health. The product is based on a wireless network of sensors developed at Stanford. These sensors send information to a base station that processes the data and forwards the analysis to a central location.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology recognized the utility of the Sensametrics product in 2004 when it awarded the company a $2 million Advanced Technology Program Grant to further develop the invention. Sensametrics is now looking for additional funding to help propel the company forward.

Sensametrics is planning to install their monitoring device on a bridge in California within one year. This will provide information for optimizing the product and a platform to validate the technology. Sensametrics believes they will have a product ready for commercial use in a year and within five years they hope to be a major provider for structure monitoring throughout the United States. Ultimately, as our buildings and national infrastructure age, this technology could help save money and lives by helping to prevent structural failures.