A review of metal magnetic memory technology in civil engineering

• New advances of metal magnetic memory technology in civil engineering during past 10 years are reviewed. • The problems with the existing studies are pointed out. • The challenges and directions for the future are presented. As a new non-destructive testing technology, the metal magnetic memory (MMM) method is considered to have potential application prospects in civil engineering due to its unique advantage of diagnosis of early damage in ferromagnetic materials. This paper reviewed the theoretical basis of MMM technology, summarized the new research advances for MMM technology in civil engineering during the past 10 years, discussed the current problems, and presented the challenges for the future. This paper can provide references and advice for the application of MMM technology in civil engineering.