As urbanization, climate change, and increased usage of aging infrastructure take their toll, ensuring the safety, longevity of critical assets is paramount. The critical asset management allows for continuous information on performance status, condition monitoring, or structural health. This is where structural health monitoring (SHM) has emerged. SHM involves the application of sensors, data acquisition systems, and advanced analytics to eliminate future catastrophic failure. Additionally, the SHM market is expected to exceed USD 32 billion by 2037. Public safety concerns, government regulations, and a global shift away from reactive asset management and towards proactive asset management are accelerating the pace of adoption in various sectors. In this blog, let’s explore several trends transforming the future of the structural health monitoring market.
- Government regulations for sustainable infrastructure management
Governments and regulators are imposing stricter requirements for infrastructure safety in human-populated regions. SHM is increasingly becoming required by the government to guarantee the long-term performance, safety, and resilience of structures. The shift toward government regulations that prioritize the sustainable operation of our infrastructure is rapidly scaling the implementation of SHM systems across the globe. At the same time, regulatory bodies are establishing increasingly stringent policies for the maintenance of structural safety and environmental sustainability.
For instance, regulatory policies, like the U.S. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the European Green Deal, mandate that public infrastructure must maintain proactive maintenance planning, uptime-performance evidence, and minimization of safety-related risk. SHM is also complementary to ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting instruments in the compliance process. In March 2024, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in India mandated that bridges be equipped with sensors, such as devices that can identify corrosion and track the condition of the bridges in real time.
- Integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)
The application of AI and ML technologies is changing SHM into a predictive intelligence platform. These technologies can analyze huge datasets of information gathered from sensors to uncover patterns that may indicate early-stage structural damage. As tools for diagnostics become more AI-based, they will be included as a standard component of SHM platforms. For instance, in March 2025, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. announced the incorporation of digital technologies to improve the surveillance of its concrete structures, such as pillars and viaducts, to guarantee prompt maintenance and raise the general effectiveness of managing metro infrastructure. The new digital inspection system would use ML algorithms and AI to analyze possible structural deterioration, which will not only identify flaws but also evaluate their seriousness.
- Adoption of digital twin technology
One of the most disruptive trends in SHM is the use of digital twin technology. Digital twins are virtual representations of physical structures that update continuously based on live SHM sensor data. Digital twins increase the utility of SHM by providing an opportunity for engineers, asset managers, and city planners to simulate structural behavior with changing conditions. In addition, governments and companies that want resilient, sustainable infrastructure are embracing digital twin strategies. The combination of SHM plus digital twin capabilities equals better lifecycle asset management, reduced downtime. In October 2024, Petrobras announced the usage of digital twin monitoring for floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) units in the Cessão Onerosa oil field. ABS, a classification society, has been hired by Petrobras to project manage and test digital twin software for its FPSOs’ real-time condition monitoring.
In addition, some of the major companies offering SHM services include National Instruments, Structural Monitoring Systems Ltd., Digitexx Data Systems, Inc., Acellent Technologies, Inc. These companies are also launching scalable SHM platforms to expand their part of the SHM market. Major companies like Geokon, Nova Metrix are investing heavily in advanced sensors to enable real-time, accurate readings from structures, including bridges, tunnels, dams, and skyscrapers. Moreover, numerous companies are forging partnerships with construction companies to use SHM systems on valuable projects. The structural health monitoring market in North America accounted for the highest revenue, led by the issue of aging infrastructure, particularly in the U.S. There are thousands of bridges, tunnels, dams, and buildings that are several decades old and have failing conditions. As a result, SHM systems are viewed as a potential solution to ensure the continued safety of civil infrastructure in the region.
In a Nutshell,
SHM serves as a means through which users can benefit economically over the life cycle of the asset, with reduced maintenance, longer life, and better performance. With the trends towards smart cities and climate resilience continuing to develop, SHM is now a critical element of infrastructure design and maintenance. The SHM system collects real-time, quantifiable data on stress, strain, vibration, temperature, and displacement to understand the behavior of a structure. In addition, the SHM market is growing rapidly due to a perfect storm of factors, which are changing how structural data is accepted, analyzed, and acted on.
Source: https://www.researchnester.com/reports/structural-health-monitoring-market/173
