Advanced Sensing Technologies in Hydraulic Engineering

Dear Colleagues,

With the prolonged service duration of hydraulic engineering structures and increasing complexity of environmental loads, their safety operation and maintenance have evolved into a pivotal cornerstone for safeguarding socioeconomic development and ecological security. In recent years, propelled by dual advancements in digital twin technological innovation and breakthroughs in intelligent sensing systems, the development of sophisticated structural health monitoring (SHM) methodologies has emerged as a critical frontier for ensuring the integrity of hydraulic infrastructure.

Optical fiber sensing and electromagnetic sensing technologies—distinguished by their exceptional electromagnetic interference resistance, long-distance transmission capability, and superior sensitivity—are progressively supplanting conventional electrical sensors, thereby providing revolutionary technical support for whole-life-cycle monitoring of hydraulic structures. Novel sensing paradigms, including Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG), Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing (DFOS), Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), and piezoelectric sensing technologies, have achieved substantial technical breakthroughs, finding practical applications in real-world projects. This marks a paradigm shift from traditional point-based measurements to comprehensive all-weather, multidimensional monitoring systems in hydraulic engineering safety surveillance.

Despite remarkable advancements in emerging monitoring technologies, persistent challenges remain in instrument development and engineering implementation: Primarily, the long-term stability of monitoring equipment under complex service environments urgently requires enhancement, manifested through issues such as low sensor survival rates and inadequate durability. Secondly, the absence of systematic theoretical frameworks for feature extraction and fusion analysis of multi-source heterogeneous monitoring data significantly impedes the transformation of monitoring data into engineering value.

This Special Issue specifically focuses on innovative applications of advanced monitoring technologies in critical hydraulic infrastructures, including dams, underground powerhouses, and water conveyance tunnels, while exploring cutting-edge progress in artificial intelligence-driven data processing algorithms for structural damage identification, performance evaluation, and early warning prediction. Contributions are solicited in (but not limited to) the following areas:

• Advanced monitoring technologies in hydraulic engineering;
• Integrated innovation in intelligent monitoring systems for hydraulic engineering;
• Theoretical and methodological advancements in novel optical fiber sensing and electromagnetic sensing technologies;
• Environmental adaptability and spatial configuration optimization of multi-physical field coupling monitoring systems;
• Intelligent fusion and analytical approaches for heterogeneous monitoring data in hydraulic engineering;
• Early-stage damage identification mechanisms and predictive warning systems for hydraulic structures.

This special collection aims to consolidate the latest research achievements in the field, promote interdisciplinary integration of optical sensing, intelligent algorithms, and hydraulic engineering, and highlight monitoring technologies demonstrating both theoretical innovation and practical engineering value, thereby facilitating digital transformation and intelligent upgrading in engineering practice. 

Dr. Lin Cheng
Dr. Fei Tong
Dr. Rui Pang
Prof. Dr. Jie Yang
Guest Editors

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