Recent advances in information and communication technologies make it possible to update the critical infrastructure for more efficient operations and maintenance with intelligent interconnections for smart city development. The infrastructure includes but not limited to transportation, buildings, healthcare, energy supply and management, and water systems. Both non-destructive testing (NDT) and structural health monitoring (SHM) technologies are essential to achieve sustainable and resilient infrastructure development in a smart city.
The overarching mission of a smart city is to optimize city functions and drive economic growth while improving life quality using smart sensing and data process technologies. Although some of the NDT and SHM techniques are widely and successfully utilized, there are still open challenges for researchers to address because of the heterogeneous data and urban challenges. The efficient sensing, collection, interpretation and analysis methods and technologies deserve to be further explored.
This special issue discusses advanced NDT and SHM techniques for smart cities. Internet of Things (IoT’s) and machine learning applications are highly welcome. This special issue promotes purpose-driven research and innovation to meet the present challenges and modernize a future NDT and SHM enabled smart city eco-system that serves everyone today and for the decades to come. Papers are invited on all relevant topics including, but not limited to:
- Advanced signal and data processing for NDT and SHM enabled smart cities (e.g. machine learning, digital twin)
- Data-driven monitoring and predictive maintenance for energy efficiency measures that may lead to net zero infrastructure
- Edge-based and IoT-based SHM systems for smart cities (e.g. smart factories, smart infrastructures)
- THz, mm-Wave, VLC communication networks of NDT based SHM systems for smart cities
- 3D capturing, reconstruction and visualization for smart cities and asset management
- Intelligent wireless sensing and digitalization for smart and connected cities
- Advanced NDT and SHM to achieve and assure the safety of existing infrastructure in smart cities to adapt to new challenges, e.g., for transporting future emerging fuels such as hydrogen and hydrogen-blends, lithium-ion batteries, energy storage systems, and charging piles /stations.
- Application of NDT, IoT, AI in structural health monitoring of transportation, storage, buildings, energy, and utility tunnels, etc.
