Structural Monitoring

Precise knowledge of the condition of your structures at any point in time is a precondition for optimized structure management and for planning targeted preservation measures. We offer to monitor your historic and contemporary structures. Our services cover the entire cycle from planning and conception over instrumentation and operation up to the evaluation of the monitoring data according to your needs.

To the login of your MPA monitoring project

Monitoring is the logical step to determine long-term changes in a structure and to be able to record isolated events.
Dr.-Ing. Frank Lehmann, Certified Building Inspection Engineer, MPA University of Stuttgart

Our monitoring services at a glance

Target oriented consulting

The aim of structural monitoring is to have available at any given moment a condition assessment of the materials, of components or of a structure, to be able to determine long-term changes in a construction or to be able to record isolated events at the structure. The monitoring of structural characteristics is carried out taking into account static and dynamic stresses as well as climatic influences.

We advise you whether the permanent technical measurement instrumentation of your construction is useful for your specific task. We will provide you with information on which parameters you should record for the purpose, which measurement technology is most suitable, which results you can expect and which prerequisites must be met for successful monitoring.

As a central institution of the University of Stuttgart, we can provide independent and non-partisan consulting.

Conceptual design

In close cooperation with you, we develop a monitoring concept tailored to your specific needs. You benefit from our many years of experience in instrumentation and operation of a wide range of different monitoring systems. Depending on the requirements profile, we will design the optimal monitoring solution for you, from simple data loggers to complex, networked systems. We have access to a large number of different measuring system manufacturers or, if desired, we can also develop in-house solutions.

Due to our leading position in the current DGZfP Guideline B09 on Structural Monitoring, we are excellently networked with monitoring experts from industry and research in Germany and beyond and can develop an optimal concept for you on this basis.

Installation and operation

Building on many years of experience, we use state-of-the-art measurement technology and proven methods to offer monitoring tailored to your needs. We use classical electrical measurement systems (wired and wireless), laser distance measurement and the latest fiber optic sensor technology (FBG) to instrument your structures, customized for your specific tasks.

Our range of expert services includes the monitoring of modern and historic buildings, each with its own special requirements and challenges. The installation can usually be realized in existing buildings with only minor interventions in the substance. We are experienced in dealing with historically protected buildings. We will be happy to provide you with references and consult on your particular matter.

We manage your monitoring during the entire service life. This enables you to perform targeted construction management with maximum resource efficiency.

Data evaluation and interpretation

Your monitoring data is stored securely on a server at the MPA University of Stuttgart and is available for you to access live at any time via a password-protected online portal.

When specified limit values are exceeded or certain parameter combinations occur, an automatic alarm can be set up. This will always keep you on the safe side and allow you to implement resource-efficient monitoring of your structures in no time at all.

We customize our monitoring systems to your requirements and carefully maintain the data acquisition.
Helmut Ernst, Technician, MPA University of Stuttgart

We monitor for you

Strain, displacement, deflection, inclination and crack openings

Particularly in the case of known damage, the monitoring of the further development is a decisive factor in the assessment of the interventions. Geometric changes are of great importance in this context. As a general rule, these are strongly dependent on the influences, such as the traffic loads and the temperature.

We monitor the mentioned geometric parameters and provide you with the recorded data in the most suitable form for further analyses. We support you in the interpretation, allowing you to obtain essential information from the monitoring in a consolidated form and not just raw data.

A special case is the opening of coupling joints in prestressed concrete members. We can equip these with measurement technology, monitor them permanently and analyze them within the framework of static and dynamic load tests and evaluate their response in a structure-specific manner.

Crack formation

A major factor in the assessment of prestressed and reinforced concrete structures is the development of new cracks. It is generally not known where these will develop, which can make measurement a challenge.

We offer detection and localization of new cracks in concrete surfaces using long-range fiber optic sensors based on Fiber Bragg Grates (FBG). This technique also allows us to monitor the evolution of known cracks with a resolution in the range of µm and to detect exceptional concrete strains before cracking starts.

With our patented algorithm, we can reliably separate external influences from damage formation, enabling reliable automated alarms.

For the assessment of existing cracks in prestressed concrete members with suspected hydrogen-induced or chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking, we offer the non-destructive determination of the actual condition with magnetic flux leakage inspection.

Loads, temperature, humidity and other influences

Meaningful interpretation of monitoring data always requires knowledge of the relevant external influences. Often, global and local temperature changes are decisive for the most pronounced structural reactions. It is important to distinguish between structural damage and seasonal and daily variations in temperature, traffic and wind loads, and other influences.

We acquire the loads on the structure, the immediate environmental conditions on the sunny and shady sides, the component temperatures and much more with sensors that are optimally adapted to your particular challenge. These include, among others, solar radiation, wind conditions, CO₂ levels, precipitation, air pressure and chemical/biological deposits.

Vibration and shock

Vibrations and shocks can cause severe damage to structures. However, they can also be used purposefully to characterize the natural vibration behavior and to draw conclusions about structural changes.

We instrument your structure for vibration and shock monitoring according to DIN 4150 or ETSI EN 300 019 and record the amplitudes and frequency ranges of the events. The individual measurements are recorded and stored for further use when specified, frequency-dependent limit values are exceeded.

Material moisture and salts

The determination of material moisture in civil engineering is currently still a topic that has not been conclusively clarified by research. Closely related to this are the monitoring of salt loads, salt movements and crystallization states in building materials. Our employees are specially qualified for the instrumented monitoring of material moisture and salts. At present, a DGZfP guideline on moisture measurement is being finalized in cooperation with us.

We offer you to carry out monitoring of material moisture and salts on the basis of the current scientific knowledge and technical possibilities. We advise you in detail which conclusions can be reasonably expected and where the current application limits lie.