Structural Health Monitoring of Ships: New Approaches and Technologies

The structural integrity of ships is critical to ensuring maritime safety and operational reliability. Traditional inspection methods often lack real-time assessment capabilities, leading to undetected fatigue and failure risks. Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems offer advanced, continuous, and data-driven solutions to monitor and predict damage in ship structures. This paper explores emerging SHM technologies such as fiber-optic sensors, acoustic emission monitoring, and machine learning-based diagnostics. It highlights recent advances in sensor integration, data acquisition systems, and predictive analytics tailored for harsh marine environments. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for smart, robust, and scalable SHM frameworks in modern ship design and maintenance.