Modular, wireless damage monitoring system for structures

A system for monitoring structural properties of a large civil structure during structural overloading caused by a natural hazard or other extreme event, the system comprising:

• a) a plurality of self-powered sensor units, wherein each sensor unit comprises:
• I) a mechanical vibration sensor mechanically coupled to the civil structure and producing an analog electrical signal representative of mechanical vibrations in a localized area of the civil structure;
• ii) a data acquisition circuit electrically coupled to the mechanical vibration sensor and producing from the analog electrical signal a digital signal data stream representative of the mechanical vibrations;
• iii) a digital wireless transmitter coupled to the data acquisition circuit and producing from the digital data stream a wireless signal containing digital information in the digital data stream;
• iv) an electrical battery supplying power to the data acquisition circuit and to the digital wireless transmitter;
• and
• b) a site master unit comprising:
• I) a digital wireless receiver coupled to the wireless signal of each sensor unit and reproducing the digital information of each sensor unit;
• ii) a microprocessor couple to the receiver and programmed to collect and to analyze the digital information from the plurality of sensor units to determine the condition of the structure as a result of a natural hazard or other extreme event.