14. A Comprehensive Review of Utilizing Smart Bricks in Structural Health Monitoring and Damage Detection of Masonry Structures

Most of damage detection and structural health monitoring (SHM) methods need sensors which are attached to the structure surfaces or gather required data via remote sensing process. The principal objective of this article is to examine novel and recent concepts regarding smart bricks which can be classified as a robust structural health monitoring method in masonry structures. Moreover, recent advances in smart sensor technology are discussed, along with various field applications for monitoring strain in a full/small-scale masonry building prototype subjected to controlled damage. In recent years, innovative piezoresistive smart sensors that bear resemblance to traditional clay bricks in appearance, and are known as “smart bricks”, have been developed to monitor diffuse strain in masonry structures, thereby enabling the deployment of monitoring systems to be significantly facilitated for this type of building. The article further elaborates on the manufacturing process of smart bricks, their integration into masonry load-bearing structures, and the numerous experimental outcomes. In order to maximize such improvements to the structure, SHM functions may offer significant details on the structural stability of brick structures to use. These systems are designed at regaining or enhancing their structural integrity for timely preservation and ensuring the inhabitants' safety. Through laboratory experimentation utilizing a full or small-scale wall sample subjected to diverse loading scenarios and controlled impairment, it has been evidenced that smart bricks possess the potential for multifarious applications, including the capacity for identifying fractures within masonry walls. In essence, the findings demonstrate that a small number of strategically positioned smart bricks can effectively monitor the strain magnitude within a wall and generate data that can be utilized for identifying the presence of cracks.