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Smart Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring and Nondestructive Testing on Transportation Infrastructures

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Intelligent Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 2139

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zhen Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA 16801, USA
Interests: non-destructive testing; sensor monitoring; deep learning; signal processing; pavement management systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Xingyu Gu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Transportation, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
Interests: NDT technologies; structural health monitoring; advanced sensors; remote sensing; green materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Dongdong Han

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Transportation and Civil Engineering Materials, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing 400074, China
Interests: intelligent sensor and detection equipment; intelligent sensing and non-destructive detection of pavements; multiscale mechanical calculation of pavement materials and structures; functional pavement materials and structures
Dr. Yuliang Zhou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA 16801, USA
Interests: transportation geotechnics; rail infrastructure health monitoring; concrete mesoscopic mechanism; sensing and algorithms; bridge; shield tunnel; ballast; tie; fiber optic sensing; numerical modelling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As transportation infrastructures age and face increasing demands, ensuring their safety and resilience becomes paramount. Traditional inspection and evaluation methods, while effective, often require time-consuming and costly procedures. In recent years, the integration of smart sensors into Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) and Non-destructive Testing (NDT) processes has revolutionized how we assess and maintain transportation systems. These advanced sensors enable real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and rapid response to structural issues, enhancing the longevity and safety of critical infrastructure.

This Special Issue aims to highlight the latest innovations in smart sensor technologies and their applications in transportation infrastructures. It will cover the development of cutting-edge sensor systems, advancements in data analytics, and real-world case studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of these technologies in monitoring and maintaining infrastructure. By gathering contributions from researchers and practitioners, this Special Issue will provide valuable insights into the future of SHM and NDT in the transportation sector.

Dr. Zhen Liu
Prof. Dr. Xingyu Gu
Dr. Dongdong Han
Dr. Yuliang Zhou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • smart sensors
  • structural health monitoring (SHM)
  • non-destructive testing (NDT)
  • transportation infrastructures
  • real-time monitoring
  • damage detection
  • ground penetrating radar
  • falling weight deflectometer
  • traffic speed deflectometer
  • pavement maintenance
  • wireless sensor networks
  • artificial intelligence

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 6819 KiB  
Article
Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Road Structural Defects Using GPR Investigation and Back-Projection Algorithm
by Lutai Wang, Zhen Liu, Xingyu Gu and Danyu Wang
Sensors 2025, 25(1), 162; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25010162 - 30 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 924
Abstract
Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) has demonstrated significant advantages in the non-destructive detection of road structural defects due to its speed, safety, and efficiency. This paper proposes a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction method for GPR images, integrating the back-projection (BP) imaging algorithm to accurately determine the [...] Read more.
Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) has demonstrated significant advantages in the non-destructive detection of road structural defects due to its speed, safety, and efficiency. This paper proposes a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction method for GPR images, integrating the back-projection (BP) imaging algorithm to accurately determine the size, location, and other parameters of road structural defects. Initially, GPR detection images were preprocessed, including direct wave removal and wavelet denoising, followed by the application of the BP algorithm to effectively restore the defect’s location and size. Subsequently, a 3D data set was constructed through interpolation, and the effective reflection data were extracted by using a clustering algorithm. This algorithm distinguished the effective reflection data from the background data by determining the distance threshold between the data points. The 3D imaging of the defect was then performed in MATLAB. The proposed method was validated using both gprMax simulations and laboratory test models. The experimental results indicate that the correlation between the reconstructed and actual defects was approximately 0.67, demonstrating the method’s efficacy in accurately achieving the 3D reconstruction of road structural defects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring and Nondestructive Testing on Transportation Infrastructures)
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20 pages, 7600 KiB  
Article
Research on the Stress Characteristics of Reuse of Semi-Rigid Base
by Liting Yu, Dong Tang, Haoyi Kang, Haiqi He, Donliang Hu, Rui Li, Jianzhong Pei and Shihui Cheng
Sensors 2024, 24(24), 8004; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24248004 - 14 Dec 2024
Viewed by 899
Abstract
Semi-rigid bases are widely used in road construction due to their excellent properties, high rigidity, and frost resistance, and they have been in service for many years. However, as the service life increases, the maintenance demands also grow, with traditional maintenance methods still [...] Read more.
Semi-rigid bases are widely used in road construction due to their excellent properties, high rigidity, and frost resistance, and they have been in service for many years. However, as the service life increases, the maintenance demands also grow, with traditional maintenance methods still being the primary approach. Based on a typical case using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) technology, this study explores the issue of cracks in semi-rigid bases and their impact on overlay layers. The findings indicate that the overlay layer at semi-rigid base cracks struggles to withstand significant tensile and shear stresses, leading to reflective cracking and reducing pavement durability. To address this problem, this paper investigates the application potential of crushing technology in maintaining semi-rigid bases. Crushing technology has been widely employed in the maintenance of cement concrete panels, effectively eliminating reflective cracks and extending the service life of overlays. Given that semi-rigid bases share similar high-strength characteristics with cement concrete panels, crushing technology shows considerable applicability in semi-rigid base maintenance. This study employs a finite element analysis method to establish a semi-rigid base model under the impact load of multi-hammer equipment. It examines its dynamic mechanical response and evaluates the feasibility and effectiveness of crushing technology for semi-rigid base maintenance. Additionally, this study investigates the influence of the crushed layer’s modulus and thickness on key mechanical design indicators of the overlay and proposes recommendations for optimal design parameters. The research results provide valuable references for the design of the thickness and modulus in maintaining and repairing semi-rigid bases, contributing to improving pavement performance and durability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring and Nondestructive Testing on Transportation Infrastructures)
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