Over the past 25 years there have been more than 85 collapses of structures under construction that have been directly attributable to formwork failure. We propose to develop sensing systems and techniques applicable to the monitoring of construction site shoring and scaffolding. This work will be demonstrated at our in house lab facilities as well as at a """"""""real- world"""""""" major construction site. It is anticipated that this sensor network will provide significant information about the load distributions on shoring systems that is currently not available. This information will allow dangerous situations to be quickly identified so that the corrective action can then be taken. Thus the risk of injury or loss of life at a construction site will be reduced, possibly leading to lower liability insurance costs. Furthermore, this information may also be used to formulate new construction codes that will further enhance construction work safety.
