Smart Civil Infrastructure Monitoring
Project Plan (May12-26)
Iowa State University
EE 491
Project Client/Facility Advisor:
Randall Geiger
Project Team:
Xianbo Tao
Kun Zhang
Guoyan Kai
1|Page
Table of Contents
Problem/need statement……………………………………………………………3
Concept sketch…………………………………………...…………………………3
System block diagram……………………………………………………………...4
System description…………………………………………………………………4
Operating environment……………………………………………………………..5
User interface description…………………………………………………………..5
Functional requirements……………………………………………………………5
Non‐functional requirements……………………………………………………….6
Market and literature survey………………….…………………………………….6
Deliverables…………………………………………………………………….…..6
Work plan:
Work breakdown structure…………………………………………………………6
Resource requirements……………………………………………………………..7
Project schedule………………………………………………………………….....7
Risks………………………………………………………………………………..7
2|Page
Problem/need statement
There is considerable concern about the long-term safety of the aging civil infrastructures
in the country. This concern relates to bridges, buildings, public transportation and public utility
systems such as conventional and nuclear power plants. Monitoring or inspection to identify
potential problems and prevent catastrophic failures is one way to help mitigate the growing
concerns.
In this project we will focus on the development of a smart civil infrastructure monitoring
system. This system will use state of the art stress sensors and wireless communications to
provide real-time stress data to a WEB-accessible database that can be regularly monitored to
detect potential problems. This project will be supervised by Professor Randy Geiger in
consultation with faculty members in the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering who
are working on the development of new sensors and their application in smart civil infrastructure
modeling.
One sensor that will be used is a soft capacitive membrane sensor that was recently
introduced by Dr. Simon Laflamme as part of his doctoral work at MIT prior to joining the
faculty at Iowa State University in the CCE Department. Strain-gage type sensors will also be
considered. In addition to applying these sensors to physical members in structures such as
bridges, application of sensors to the blades of wind turbans will be considered. In this latter
application, energy harvesting will be considered as a means of powering a wireless
communications interface that transmits stress data to an intermediate node which will
subsequently use wireless transmission for connection to the WEB-accessible interface.
Concept sketch
The entire system is made up by an array of capacitors, wireless communication transmitter, a
receiver such as cell phone. The array of capacitors which is attached to are designed to detect
the stress of the bridge. Our project’s goal will mainly on the use of these capacitors to collect
data. Each capacitor will compare with its neighbor by subtraction when it encounters stress;
and the delta-capacitor function is determined by its intrinsic property from manufacture,
temperature, and stress. Instead of approaching to a bridge, we will set up an equivalent model in
lab to test the stress-capacitor function. 200pf capacitor will be used and a switch connected to
2pf capacitor as delta-capacitor due to stress by just turning on or off the switch to make same
effect as the capacitor encounters stress. When the capacitor changes too much that exceed stress
the bridge undertakes, this circuit will output a voltage varied with the capacitor change. The
voltage change will be transmitted to ADC; then a detector will store the ADC data and send a
warning to user’s cell phone wireless.
3|Page
System block diagram
System description
The smart civil infrastructure monitoring system is used to detect whether the crack or broken
point happened on the bridge or not. Many pieces of soft capacitors are stickled under the bridge.
If there is crack existing on the bridge, it will stress the soft capacitors so that the capacitance of
some stages will change somehow. This change will be stored to the WEB-accessible database
that can be regularly monitored to detect potential problems. All the date in the database will be
translated into microcontroller system. Then the signal will be send to computer by radio. And
Cellphone will get the message that the bridge needs to be maintained from computer. Some
professional bridge constructors will go to the bridge where crack happened.
4|Page
Operating environment
This is a senor that can detect the flaw of the bridge. The senor is made of a kind of capacitor,
then we settle 16 capacitors under the bridge, and the detail locations are chosen by the instructor.
We probably need to add our product to the each new built bridge and I think even better
for the bridge which is looks old or dangerous.
Because the capacitors’ property has something relationship with temperature, and some
other weather factor, so we should make sure our capacitors in some safe place, and make them
work properly.
Then we should get signals for our device, if our device can’t transmit signal back to the
person, our work is useless.
User interface description
The user provided with a cell phone will be informed of the current condition of the bridge, and
information will contain the warning message if the bridge is on the edge of danger. Strain-gage
type sensors attached to the bridge will send their data to the detector which transmits the data to
the cell phone.
Functional requirements
a. Some factors such as its intrinsic property from manufacture, temperature, and stress will
affect the value of capacitors
b. The transmitter shall have sufficient defense to protect itself working in an urban and rural
environment. The weather change will not affect its function.
c. the wireless network should be reliable and stable to send data to the user constantly.
d. capacitors shall overcome the interruption of other natural force such as wind and rain just
collecting data from condition of bridge.
e. the duration of the transmission from the microcontroller to cell phone should take too much
time.
f. the interface is supposed to require little technical experience which makes common people to
operate.
5|Page
Non‐functional requirements
a. The communication company does not affect the network
b. Different types of phone will not affect the entire communication.
Market and literature survey
As we know, there are many people who are doing the research on the same topic as we do, there
already has some journals and designs, our design is not that perfect, I am not sure what kind of
position we can have in the market, maybe, in some day, our products can be marketed to the
normal citizen and research place. Our device can be used by the state government some real
estate, they can set our device into their buildings or bridges, detect the flaw, and make sure the
safety.
Deliverables
This product can be used by the bridges and even buildings that get a long age. Then we can
detect the specific place where the bridges or other things’ inner structure changes that can cause
the bridges crash. So we can find out the bridge which has the flaw in time, and make the
decision.
Work breakdown structure
Team Leader:
Xianbo Tao
Description:
Work with Kun Zhang, and Guoyan Kai, to organize and distribute the
task to each group member. Overall organize and make sure whether the system or idea works or
not.
Communicator:
Guoyan Kai
Description:
One of the most important people generates and organizes the weekly
report. A person tries to contact with our group advisor, Dr Geiger, if our group get some tough
trouble.
Website Leader:
Kun Zhang
Description:
Create a website and organize all the information that we discuss, put
them on our senior design project website. Research some relevant information about what our
group needs.
6|Page
Resource requirements
1. Whole bunch of capacitors: specifically, 16 for 200pf capacitors, 40 for around 2pF
capacitors.
2. Circuit Board
3. Microcontroller
4. Hardware Sensor Emulator
5. Computer
6. Stressing Sensor and Communication Machine
7. Cellphone
Project schedule
First semester:
Week 1-3: Building a website for our senior design project. Make an appointment with advisor
and client to talk about the problem of project.
Week 4-9: Construct a certain concept for the project. Divide task into each group members.
Week 10-13: Realize the structure based on the concept. Find problems existing for each stages
of the concept and solve them.
Week 14-15: Prepare for the presentation. Finish final design plan
Risks
One possible risk is the limitation of a team member, that is, because of the delay or other reason
causes one or more team member can’t finish their task by time, then it will behind our projected
schedule. The most possible reason for the delaying is the skill or technical problems, so I think
other members should give him a hand, and ask advisor for help to avoid the risk.
7|Page