Long-term data management and the safety of large civil engineering structures

Abstract

Large civil engineering structures are continuously monitored to assure their structural safety. The Portuguese National Laboratory for Civil Engineering currently monitors several types of structures, like concrete dams, bridges or other transportation infrastructures. The consequences of a structural failure are potentially catastrophic, varying from loss of life or environmental damage to high economic impacts. The management and preservation of structural monitoring data is crucial to support decisions concerning the structural safety. However, preserving data also entails several risks and threats’, comprising strong safety requirements as happens in civil engineering structures.