Structural monitoring guide
Sensor Placement Strategy
Put sensors where structural response can answer the monitoring question.
Structural note: monitoring data is evidence, not a declaration of safety. Applicable codes, inspections and qualified structural engineering remain necessary for consequential decisions.
What this topic covers
Put sensors where structural response can answer the monitoring question.
Core monitoring ideas
Placement should be informed by load paths, expected modes, critical details and access.
More sensors do not automatically improve detection if they measure insensitive locations.
Placement is an engineering design task rather than a generic spacing rule.
Interpretation limits
Sampling and storage should match the phenomenon: slow settlement and rapid vibration need different strategies.
Evidence and data quality
Analytics should surface uncertainty, missing data and sensor faults rather than hide them inside a score.
Lifecycle use
AI, machine learning and digital twins support review; they do not replace structural engineering accountability.