A Multi-Agent-Based Collaborative Framework for a Self-Managing Structural Health Monitoring System

The deterioration of civil infrastructure due to ageing, altered requirements, excessive loading or inadequate maintenance underpins the urgent need for reliable and cost-effective monitoring systems. This paper presents a framework for monitoring the condition of civil infrastructure. A self-managing software framework based on multi-agent technology is designed to remotely access and autonomously process collected information about the monitored structure. The distributed software framework ensures automated anomaly detection, supports collaborative diagnostic tools and enhances communications among distributively located users participating in the monitoring activities. The multi-agent framework has been implemented and validated for the monitoring of a 500 kW wind turbine in Germany. The longterm field instrumentation shows the practicability, efficiency, fault-tolerance and robustness of the system for structural health monitoring applications. This research has demonstrated a practical adoption of a multi-agent-based structural health monitoring system for the long-term deployment in the field.