Design and Implementation of a Wireless Sensor Network for Seismic Monitoring of Buildings

Area of Science:

• Engineering
• Geophysics
• Computer Science

Background:

• Traditional seismic monitoring systems can be costly and complex to deploy.
• Real-time structural health monitoring is crucial for building safety and maintenance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test a novel wireless seismic sensor network system specifically for building monitoring.
• To enable remote, real-time data acquisition and visualization of ambient vibrations within buildings.

Main Methods:

• Utilized CC3200 microcontrollers for data acquisition from three-component seismic sensors.
• Implemented Wi-Fi and existing building network infrastructure for data transmission to a central server.
• Developed a data synchronization scheme to correct time differences and internal clock drifts.

Main Results:

• The prototype system successfully recorded ambient vibrations across multiple floors of a real building.
• Demonstrated real-time signal visualization accessible via any internet browser using Node.js technology.
• The system proved to be low-cost, open-hardware, and open-software.

Conclusions:

• The developed wireless seismic sensor network is a viable, cost-effective solution for real-time building monitoring.
• The system's ability to leverage existing network infrastructure reduces deployment costs.
• Observed differences in recorded vibrations across floors highlight the system's utility in assessing building structural responses.