Cited by 117Structural Health Monitoring TechniquesUltrasonics and Acoustic Wave PropagationStructural Engineering and Materials Analysis

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 267 of the 280 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 87 of the 148 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

Effects of Environmental and Operational Conditions on Structural Health Monitoring and Non-Destructive Testing: A Systematic Review

Open access

Abstract

The development of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) techniques has rapidly evolved and matured over the past few decades. Advances in sensor technology have facilitated deploying SHM systems for large-scale structures and local NDT of structural members. Although both methods have been successfully applied to identify structural damage in various systems, Environmental and Operational Condition (EOC) variations can influence sensor measurements and mask damage signatures in the structural response. EOCs include environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity, and wind, as well as operational conditions, such as mass loading, vibration, and boundary conditions. The effect of EOCs can significantly undermine the reliability and robustness of damage assessment technologies and limit their performance. Thus, successful SHM and NDT systems can compensate for changing EOCs. This paper provides a state-of-the-art review of the effects of EOCs on SHM and NDT systems. It presents recent developments in advanced sensing technology, signal processing, and analysis techniques that aim to eliminate the masking effect of EOC variations and increase the damage sensitivity and performance of SHM and NDT systems. The paper concludes with current research challenges, trends, and recommendations for future research directions.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This review synthesizes how environmental and operational condition (EOC) variations—temperature, humidity, wind, mass loading, and boundary conditions—affect structural health monitoring (SHM) and non-destructive testing (NDT), often masking damage signatures and reducing reliability. It surveys sensing technologies and data-analysis methods for EOC compensation and identifies future research needs, especially for combined EOC effects and non-temperature factors.

Key findings

  • EOCs can alter structural responses and sensor readings enough to mask damage or cause false damage identifications; temperature is the most widely studied EOC, affecting stiffness, boundary conditions, natural frequencies, mode shapes, damping, and sensor signals such as electromechanical admittance and impedance.
  • A comparative analysis using a weigh-in-motion roadway scale on a steel bridge reported that thermal stresses are significantly more influential than stresses induced by traffic.
  • Wind affects long-span bridges by influencing aerodynamic coupling, modal parameters, and response amplitude; high winds make modal parameter identification difficult and uncertain, and wind-induced vibrations can cause flutter or buffet when they contribute more energy than damping.
  • Mass loading from traffic decreases natural frequencies; short-span bridges are significantly more affected by traffic-induced mass variations than by environmental stiffness changes, while for middle-to-long-span bridges traffic-induced natural frequency variations are insignificant. Humidity had limited effects on modal parameters of a 600 m supertall building monitored over two years and five typhoons.

Methods

  • Design: state-of-the-art/systematic review of the effects of EOCs on SHM and NDT systems, covering sensing technologies, signal processing, and data-analysis techniques for EOC compensation.
  • Data: published literature; the paper reports that a Google Scholar search on “structural health monitoring” completed in March 2023 found over 20,000 papers published in the last two decades, and it summarizes studies in tables on numerical methods, EOC effects, NDT approaches, and data-analysis algorithms.
  • Analysis: narrative synthesis with summary tables; no formal meta-analysis or PRISMA-style systematic search protocol is described in the text.

Limitations

  • Stated: most compensation techniques focus on temperature, while other EOCs such as traffic and wind are unavoidable but less addressed; moisture and applied loads have not been adequately examined in practice; baseline-free methods can be affected by EOC variations; AI/ML approaches require better input datasets; and only minor work has addressed combined effects of multiple EOC factors.
  • Evident: despite the title “systematic review,” the text does not report inclusion/exclusion criteria, a reproducible search strategy, or quality appraisal of included studies.
  • Evident: many findings are drawn from individual case studies or laboratory experiments, and the paper notes challenges such as lack of standardization and dependence on material properties, which may limit generalizability.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.3390/buildings13040918

Cites

267 of 268 references verified0 citation errors · 1 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Figures

Figure 1 Passive and active SHM systems.
Figure 1 Passive and active SHM systems.CC-BY · From the PDF
Image 2
CC-BY · From the PDF
Figure 3 Breakdown of various EOCs studied for SHM.
Figure 3 Breakdown of various EOCs studied for SHM.CC-BY · From the PDF
Figure 4 Classification of SHM methods.
Figure 4 Classification of SHM methods.CC-BY · From the PDF
Figure 5 Influence mechanisms of EOCs on modal properties [141].
Figure 5 Influence mechanisms of EOCs on modal properties [141].CC-BY · From the PDF
Figure 6 SHMsystem based on TBSI technique.
Figure 6 SHMsystem based on TBSI technique.CC-BY · From the PDF

Verification

Claims the paper makes

37 No full text of the sources · 35 Own interpretation · 28 Supported · 25 Partly supported · 25 No basis given · 24 Couldn’t confirm · 1 Supported so far · 1 Sources not found · 1 Not checked yet · accuracy not yet measured

Verify all 1 references — free account

Show all 92 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 28
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 73
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 5
85 of 85
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Structures are simultaneously exposed to different EOCs.

    “Generally, structures are simultaneously exposed to different EOCs.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Bridge systems with long spans are particularly susceptible to wind loads, and high winds can significantly affect these structures.

    “Bridge systems with long spans are particularly susceptible to wind loads, and as such, high winds can significantly affect these structures.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    During strong winds or typhoons, wind-induced vibrations contribute more energy to a system than damping, causing it to flutter or buffet.

    “During strong winds or typhoons, wind-induced vibrations contribute more energy to a system than damping, causing it to flutter or buffet.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Effects of variations in humidity can be reflected in changes in boundary conditions and structural mass.

    “Effects of variations in humidity can be reflected in changes in boundary conditions and structural mass.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    As moisture content increases, structural frequencies tend to be reduced.

    “A slow process of changes occurs as the moisture content increases, and the structural frequencies tend to be reduced as a consequence.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Historical data on which a static threshold is usually based might not cover the entire spectrum of EOC changes over the monitored period.

    “This is mainly because historical data, on which a static threshold is usually based, might not cover the entire spectrum of EOC changes over the monitored period.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Effects of other EOC variations, such as traffic or wind loads, are unavoidable in SHM systems.

    “However, in actual practice, the effects of other EOC variations, such as traffic or wind loads, are unavoidable in SHM systems.”
7 of 7

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

2 of 2

Cited works that were retracted

Works this paper cites that were later retracted, from the retraction notices publishers deposit. Major when the notice came out before this paper was published.

1 of 1

Citations

Cites

1 retracted

Items 201–268 of 268

Research works printed but not linked: 13

  1. Hassani, S., Mousavi, M., and Sharif-Khodaei, Z. (2022). The Rise of Smart Cities, Elsevier.
  2. Sabatino, S., and Frangopol, D.M. (2016). Life-Cycle of Engineering Systems, CRC Press.
  3. Giurgiutiu, V. (2020). Polymer Composites in the Aerospace Industry, Elsevier.
  4. Bianchi, S., Biondini, F., Rosati, G., Anghileri, M., Capacci, L., Cazzulani, G., and Benedetti, L. (2021). Proceedings of the International Conference of the European Association on Quality Control of Bridges and Structures, Springer.
  5. Zienkiewicz, O.C., and Taylor, R.L. (2005). The Finite Element Method for Solid and Structural Mechanics, Elsevier.
  6. Aliabadi, M.H. (2002). The Boundary Element Method, Volume 2: Applications in Solids and Structures, John Wiley & Sons.
  7. Rose Enid Teresa, A., Stella, S., Goutham Priya, M., Gajalakshmi, P., and Revathy, J. (2022). Advances in Construction Materials and Sustainable Environment, Springer.
  8. Xu, Y.L., and Xia, Y. (2019). Structural Health Monitoring of Long-Span Suspension Bridges, CRC Press.
  9. Adhreena, M., and Hafizi, Z. (2022). Technological Advancement in Instrumentation & Human Engineering: Selected Papers from ICMER 2021, Springer.
  10. Pal, B.P. (2006). Guided Wave Optical Components and Devices, Academic Press.
  11. Gowshikan, A., Kariyawasam, K., Xu, X., Kechavarzi, C., de Battista, N., Ferdinando, N., Acikgoz, S., Gunawardana, N., and Ranasinghe, M. (2022). Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction Management: Proceedings of the ICSECM 2021, Springer.
  12. Neri, G. (2023). Proceedings of the AISEM Annual Conference on Sensors and Microsystems, Springer.
  13. Furuya, 2019, Imagification technology and deep learning accelerating defect detection in non-destructive testing for wind turbine blades, Fujitsu Sci. Tech. J., 55, 23

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Metadata

Authors
Keshmiry, A., Hassani, S., Mousavi, M., & Dackermann, U.
Affiliations
  • University of Shahrood (IR)
  • UNSW Sydney (AU)
  • University of Technology Sydney (AU)
Corresponding author
Dackermann, Ulrike
Venue
Buildings
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2023-03-30
Volume
13
Issue
4
Pages
918
ISSN
2075-5309 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4362465927
Cited by
117
References
280
Citations by year
2026: 35 · 2025: 57 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 5
FWCI
2.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Buildings (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • OPUS - Open Publications of UTS Scholars (University of Technology Sydney) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Civil and Structural Engineering › Structural Health Monitoring Techniques
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanics of Materials › Ultrasonics and Acoustic Wave Propagation
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Civil and Structural Engineering › Structural Engineering and Materials Analysis
Keywords
structural health monitoring, non-destructive testing, environmental and operational conditions, damage detection, sensor technology, signal processing, temperature effects, humidity, wind effects, vibration, mass loading, boundary conditions, damage sensitivity

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