Smart civil structures

Civil engineering structures in the form of bridges, dams, buildings, pipelines, etc. present a wide variety of opportunities and challenges for the application of smart structures technology. In many respects civil structures are very similar to other types of structures, e.g. aerospace or automotive, in that they must be able to resist mechanical loads in a desired manner. The failure of a structure can have enormous public safety and economic consequences. Since civil structures have many similarities to other structures, the techniques of smart structures and materials can also be applied, as long as the appropriate engineering and economic issues are addressed.