Structural Health Monitoring Sensor System Vendors
Structural health monitoring (SHM) sensor systems provide continuous or on-demand assessment of the integrity of civil infrastructure and industrial assets. The global SHM market was valued at approximately $3.5–5 billion in 2025 and is growing rapidly as aging infrastructure worldwide demands proactive monitoring rather than reactive inspection.
Core Sensor Technologies
SHM vendors deploy a range of sensing technologies, each suited to different measurement needs:
| Technology | Measures | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Vibrating Wire | Strain, displacement, pressure | Dams, foundations, embankments |
| Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) | Strain, temperature, tilt | Bridges, pipelines, wind turbines |
| Distributed Fiber Optic (DFOS) | Strain/temperature over full length | Large-span bridges, tunnels |
| Piezoelectric | Dynamic strain, impact detection | Aerospace, composite structures |
| MEMS Accelerometers | Vibration, seismic response | Buildings, bridges under traffic/wind |
| Acoustic Emission | Crack initiation, corrosion | Steel bridges, pressure vessels |
Key Selection Criteria
When evaluating SHM sensor system vendors, infrastructure asset owners typically consider:
- Long-term stability
- Sensors embedded in concrete or attached to steel must deliver reliable readings over 20–50 year service lives. Vibrating wire sensors from companies like Geokon are favored for this reason.
- Environmental resilience
- Systems must operate in extreme temperatures, high humidity, and electrically noisy environments. Fiber optic sensors are inherently immune to electromagnetic interference.
- Data acquisition and connectivity
- Modern systems offer LoRa, cellular, and satellite connectivity for remote sites. Campbell Scientific and BeanAir provide integrated wireless data acquisition solutions.
- Software and analytics
- Leading vendors now bundle cloud platforms with threshold alerting, trend analysis, and reporting tools that transform raw sensor data into actionable maintenance decisions.
Application Domains
SHM sensor systems are deployed across multiple infrastructure types. Bridges represent the largest segment, driven by the fact that over 42% of U.S. bridges are at least 50 years old according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. Dams, tunnels, high-rise buildings, wind turbines, and industrial facilities such as oil refineries and nuclear power plants also rely heavily on continuous structural monitoring.