Sensors - Proceedings of the 2nd National Conference on Sensors, 2014

In recent years, there has been a growing interest for possible application of wireless smart sensor networks. One area in which these platforms can offer considerable advantages over classical solutions is the monitoring of civil structures. This work analyze possible benefits and critical issues associated with the use of wireless sensor networks for vibrational monitoring of civil infrastructures. On the basis of the analysis of an experimental setup for the health monitoring of an heritage structure, the main advantages and limitations of a wireless sensor network for vibrational monitoring are outlined. A possible approach for the design of a sensor node supporting on-board vibrational data processing is discussed. Possible advantages of the proposed architecture are analyzed and a preliminary characterization of a custom prototype is presented.