Globally infrastracture is aging, while budgets allocated to assess and maintain structures are limited. It is therefore essential to develop and implement innovative assessment methods and procedures.This will make it possible to assess and maintain structures continuously and comprehensively over time. Moreover, new possibilities may arise with the emergence of low-cost, autonomous and/or passive sensor networks and big calculation possibilities, both in terms of numerical modelling and data analysis. This is particularly important nowadays, in the face of increasing actions on structures, and the focus of the public on resilience and sustainable developement.
An assessment of a structure might be realized and communicated in real time, based on monitoring data and Artifcial Intelligence-based data analysis methods. Based on this information, the best maintenance time and methods can be derived, particularly based on predictive strategies making it possible to derive predictive maintenance plans. Before and after maintenance activities, the performance of the infrastructure may be monitored by performance indicators, whose actual values may be communicated to the infrastructure owners and managers.
Therefore, the SEI Special Issue ‘Assessment/Maintenance/Performance’ invites Research and Development papers describing the development, testing and implementation of innovative assessment, maintenance and performance monitoring strategies, leveraging the possibilities of monitoring data and realizing best economical and budgetary practice.
