A remotely controllable structural health monitoring framework for bridges using 3.5 generation mobile telecommunication technology

A framework for structural health monitoring (SHM) systems is presented utilizing a recent 3.5 generation mobile telecommunication technology, HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access). It may be effectively applied to monitoring bridges, cut-slopes, and other facilities located in rural areas where the conventional Internet service is not readily available, since HSDPA is currently commercialized in 86 countries to make the Internet access possible in anywhere the mobile phone service is available. The proposed SHM framework is also incorporating remote desktop software to have remote control/operation of the SHM systems. The feasibility of the proposed framework has been demonstrated by field tests on a highway bridge in operation. One can expect that fast advances in the mobile telecommunication technology will further enhance the performance of the SHM network using the proposed framework for bridges and other facilities located in remote areas without the conventional wired Internet service.