Sensor Data Collection System for Health Monitoring of Railway Structures

Abstract

The application of a health-monitoring system to railway structures is currently under discussion, and several prototype systems have already been implemented and tested. Those systems, often referred to as health-monitoring systems, are expected to have a positive effect on maintenance for structures. We have developed a health-monitoring system in which two methods of data collection can be selected: one uses RFID tags and a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and the other uses a wireless radio network (ZigBee, IEEE 802.15.4) and a cellular phone network. This paper gives an overview of our sensor data collection system and its application to railway structures.