Using GPS sensors in Structural Mechanics

Distributed sensor networks are conceived for a simple installation all around the free boundary of deformable media. The impact on current structural engineering technology depends on some requisites which are preliminarily discussed in this chapter: wireless communication between sensors and storage unit(s), reliability of the acquisition, low power consumption. Within this framework, non contact displacement sensors should be preferred in view of reconstructing the stress and strain fields inside the medium. GPS(Global Positioning System) sensors would be adequate, but they suffer some drawbacks which suggest the study of land GPS configurations. Assuming that the milestones listed above have all been reached, the design of the sensors dislocation is identified as the core structural-mechanics optimization problem.