Final Project
Timber bridge with structural health monitoring system (SHM)
Context
My final project consists of doing a self-assembly timber bridge by robotically manufacturing small timber blocks and incorporing a structural health monitoring system. The blocks will be manufactured with joints that have self-aligning capabilities and act as hinges. Therefore, when stacking set of timber blocks together, and suspending them on air, the structure shall acquire the active form of an arch.
On the other hand, timber structures could be more susceptible to temperature and relative humidity variations than other structural systems. That’s why I want to do a low-cost SHM, which enables fully autonomous oversight and management of permanent SHM systems, incorporating diverse sensing technologies, including dynamic, static, and environmental.
Example of the idea:
Bibliography:
- Bono, F. M., Polinelli, A., Radicioni, L., Benedetti, L., Castelli-Dezza, F., Cinquemani, S., & Belloli, M. (2025). Wireless Accelerometer Architecture for Bridge SHM: From Sensor Design to System Deployment. Future Internet, 17(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi17010029
- Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung, (2022), Digital Twins for the Safety of Bridges, video, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReWmrbQgQLU
CAD
CNC
week 12
Schedule for remaining task
| Month | Day | Days | Topic | Final Project |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April | 21 | Mechanical design, machine design | Meet with local and global instructors | |
| 23 | 2 | Molding and casting | Interaction panel and finishing the structure, also doing the PCB | |
| 30 | 7 | Interface and application programming | Programming more 2 or more accelerometers | |
| May | 7 | 7 | System integration | Mount the accelerometers, led lights and oled |
| 14 | 7 | Wildcard Week | Try more sensor for deformation(Strain Gage), temperature, humidity | |
| 21 | 7 | Applications and implications, project development | Try more sensor for deformation(Strain Gage), temperature, humidity | |
| 28 | 7 | Invention, intellectual property and income | Do the presentation (video and poster) | |
| Jun | 8 | 11 | Weekly assignments deadline | Time for corrections and enhancement |
| 9 | Final project presentations | |||
| Total: | 48 | days remaining |