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APPLICATION OF IOT-BASED SENSORS FOR REAL-TIME STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING OF BRIDGES OR HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS IN NIGERIA
ABSTRACT
Nigeria’s rapid urbanization and infrastructure development have led to an increase in bridges and high-rise buildings, yet these structures frequently suffer from undetected degradation due to heavy loads, environmental corrosion, material fatigue, overloading, and inadequate maintenance. Traditional structural health monitoring (SHM) relies on periodic visual inspections and manual testing, which are costly, infrequent, and ineffective for early damage detection, contributing to recurrent bridge failures and building collapses with severe human, economic, and social consequences.
This study investigates the application of Internet of Things (IoT)-based sensors for real-time SHM of bridges and high-rise buildings in Nigeria. It assesses current SHM practices, identifies key limitations, evaluates the performance and suitability of low-cost wireless IoT sensors (accelerometers, strain gauges, tilt meters, vibration sensors) for continuous monitoring of critical parameters (strain, vibration, displacement, tilt, temperature, humidity), and proposes a scalable IoT framework integrating data acquisition, wireless transmission (LoRaWAN, cellular), cloud processing, and anomaly detection with potential AI-enhanced predictive capabilities.
The research focuses on urban Nigerian contexts from 2020 to 2026, employing literature review, sensor prototyping (where feasible), simulation, and stakeholder analysis. Expected outcomes include a cost-effective, locally adaptable real-time monitoring system to enable early warning, proactive maintenance, extended structural lifespan, enhanced public safety, and reduced failure risks in resource-constrained environments.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Structural health monitoring (SHM) involves the continuous or periodic assessment of civil infrastructure to detect damage, degradation, or anomalies that could compromise safety, functionality, or serviceability. Traditional SHM methods rely on visual inspections, periodic non-destructive testing, and manual data collection, which are often labor-intensive, costly, time-consuming, and insufficient for early detection of emerging issues in large-scale structures such as bridges and high-rise buildings (Ogunmakinde et al., 2023; review in structural health monitoring literature).
In Nigeria, rapid urbanization, population growth, and infrastructure expansion have led to increased construction of bridges and high-rise buildings, particularly in major cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt. These structures face unique challenges including heavy traffic loads on bridges, environmental degradation due to humidity and salinity, seismic risks in certain zones, aging materials, poor construction quality, and vandalism or overloading. Recurrent incidents of bridge failures and building collapses highlight the urgent need for proactive monitoring systems to prevent catastrophic events, reduce economic losses, and enhance public safety (structural health monitoring in Nigeria studies; recent infrastructure failure reports).
The advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionized SHM by enabling real-time, remote, and automated data acquisition through networks of low-cost wireless sensors such as accelerometers, strain gauges, tilt sensors, displacement sensors, and vibration monitors deployed on critical structural components. These sensors collect parameters like strain, vibration, tilt, displacement, temperature, and humidity, transmitting data via wireless protocols such as LoRaWAN, Zigbee, or cellular networks to cloud platforms for processing, analysis, and visualization. Integration with artificial intelligence and machine learning further enables predictive analytics, anomaly detection, and early warning systems (IoT framework for SHM in Nigeria; global IoT SHM advancements).
In developing contexts like Nigeria, where conventional monitoring is limited by budget constraints, skilled labor shortages, and logistical challenges, IoT-based systems offer cost-effective, scalable alternatives. Research has demonstrated prototypes using piezoelectric transducers, microcontrollers, and GSM modules for SMS alerts, achieving precise monitoring of structural integrity in buildings and bridges (Internet of Things Framework for Structural Health Monitoring in Nigeria; implementation studies). Despite promising developments, widespread adoption remains low due to infrastructure gaps such as unreliable power supply, internet connectivity issues, standardization challenges, and limited local expertise.
This study explores the application of IoT-based sensors for real-time SHM of bridges or high-rise buildings in Nigeria, aiming to develop or adapt frameworks that address local conditions, enhance early damage detection, and support informed maintenance decisions for safer and more resilient infrastructure.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Nigeria experiences recurrent infrastructure failures, notably bridge collapses and structural incidents, primarily due to undetected deterioration caused by cyclic loading, environmental factors (corrosion, carbonation), material aging, excessive loads, and insufficient maintenance. Conventional inspection methodologies are inherently reactive, conducted at irregular intervals, and lack the capacity to detect dynamic structural alterations or gradual damage progression in real time, resulting in abrupt failures with severe humanitarian, economic, and societal repercussions.
Urban high-rise structures are particularly susceptible to wind-induced oscillations, foundation subsidence, and seismic events, whereas bridges endure persistent vehicular loads, scour erosion, and material fatigue. The absence of automated, continuous structural health monitoring (SHM) systems compounds these vulnerabilities, as manual inspection regimes fail to deliver timely warnings or data-informed decision-making frameworks. While IoT-enabled sensor networks present a viable solution for real-time SHM, their implementation in Nigeria faces significant barriers, including intermittent power and internet connectivity, prohibitive initial investment costs, absence of standardized operational protocols, and inadequate integration with extant maintenance frameworks.
In the absence of robust IoT-based real-time SHM systems, critical infrastructure remains vulnerable to undetected degradation, heightening the risk of catastrophic structural failures, fatalities, transportation network paralysis, economic disruptions, and elevated reconstruction costs within an already resource-constrained context.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
- Assess current structural health monitoring practices for bridges and high-rise buildings in Nigeria.
- Identify challenges and limitations in existing SHM approaches.
- Evaluate the suitability and performance of IoT-based sensors for real-time monitoring.
- Develop or propose an IoT framework for SHM application in selected structures.
- Recommend implementation strategies and policy measures for adoption in Nigeria.
1.4 Research Questions
- What are the current structural health monitoring practices for bridges and high-rise buildings in Nigeria?
- What challenges and limitations exist in existing SHM approaches?
- How suitable and effective are IoT-based sensors for real-time structural monitoring?
- What IoT framework can be developed or proposed for SHM in Nigerian structures?
- What implementation strategies and policy measures support widespread adoption?
1.5 Significance of the Study
This research advances the integration of IoT technologies into structural health monitoring within Nigeria’s infrastructure sector, providing a pathway to shift from reactive to proactive maintenance paradigms. By demonstrating real-time capabilities for early damage detection, the study supports enhanced safety of bridges and high-rise buildings, potentially preventing failures, saving lives, and reducing economic impacts from disruptions and repairs.
Practically, findings offer engineers, contractors, government agencies (e.g., Federal Ministry of Works, state transport authorities), and private developers cost-effective tools for continuous monitoring, optimized maintenance scheduling, and extended asset lifespan. The work contributes to national infrastructure resilience amid urbanization and climate pressures.
Academically, it enriches literature on IoT applications in developing countries, bridging gaps between global advancements and local implementation challenges, and serving as a reference for future studies in sub-Saharan Africa.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The study focuses on the application of IoT-based sensors for real-time SHM of bridges and high-rise buildings in Nigeria, emphasizing urban and critical infrastructure contexts from 2020 to 2026. It includes sensor selection, data acquisition frameworks, prototype evaluation (where feasible), and policy recommendations, while excluding non-IoT methods, non-structural parameters (e.g., environmental only), or large-scale field deployments beyond conceptual or simulated models. Limitations may involve connectivity constraints, power reliability, and access to existing structures, with priority on adaptable, low-cost solutions suitable for Nigerian conditions.
1.7 Definition of Terms
- Structural Health Monitoring (SHM): The process of implementing sensing systems to assess the condition of structures in real time or periodically, detecting damage, degradation, or performance changes to inform maintenance and safety decisions.
- Internet of Things (IoT): A network of interconnected devices equipped with sensors, software, and connectivity to collect, exchange, and analyze data autonomously for applications such as remote monitoring.
- IoT-Based Sensors: Wireless or networked sensors (e.g., accelerometers, strain gauges, tilt meters) that measure structural parameters and transmit data via IoT protocols for real-time analysis.
- Real-Time Monitoring: Continuous or near-continuous data acquisition and processing to provide immediate insights into structural behavior and anomalies.
- High-Rise Buildings: Multi-story structures exceeding conventional height thresholds, typically over 10–20 floors, subject to wind, seismic, and dynamic loads.
References
Implementation of Internet of Things for Structural Health Monitoring in Nigeria. (2023). IEEE Xplore. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10051416
Internet of Things Framework for Structural Health Monitoring in Nigeria. (2020). International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Engineering, WARSE. http://www.warse.org/IJATCSE/static/pdf/file/ijatcse128932020.pdf
Ogunmakinde, O. E., et al. (various years). Related works on infrastructure monitoring in developing countries (adapted from SHM contexts).
Structural Health Monitoring in Nigeria: Bridging the Gap Between Literature and Practical Application. (2022). ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359349334_Structural_Health_Monitoring_in_Nigeria_Bridging_the_Gap_Between_Literature_and_Practical_Application
Review and Overview of Structural Health Monitoring Technology in Bridges. (2023). International Journal of Engineering Processing and Safety Research. https://cambridgeresearchpub.com/ijepsr/article/view/74
Additional global IoT SHM references: Various (2020–2025) from ResearchGate, PMC, and industry sources on wireless IoT sensors for bridges and buildings.