Accuracy comparison of MEMS accelerometers for vibration measurement

– A case study of a two-story wooden house –

Abstract

The wide-area, high-spatial-density accelerometer observation network could be the enabler of health monitoring of buildings’ structures over a long period. Smartphones could be seen as a sort of MEMS accelerometer from which collected data are easily collectable through an information network. This paper evaluates to what extent smartphones are usable as an accelerometer by measuring the microtremor of a two-story detached house. The paper also discusses the issues that can restrict the development of the integrated observation system composed of interconnected sensors that different parties use.