ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Structural Health Monitoring can be defined as real time structural condition monitoring based on feedback information from the structure during its service life, in terms of response and performance under operational and environmental conditions. While there have been many works on SHM in relation to mechanical or aerospace structures, monitoring of civil structures is still at a preliminary phase. In order to prevent failures of civil structures, SHM systems have been recently developed and applied to an increasing extent. At the core of any health monitoring system stays the ability to automatically identify structural damage, considered as a weakening of the structure that negatively affects its performance. Damage identification means, at the simplest level, determining that some type of damage has occurred. At a deeper level, it includes damage localization and finally the assessment of the extension and severity of damage.
