Design of a Low-Power Electronics System for Remote Structural Health Monitoring of Bridges in Benue State

Background: Bridge structural failures in Benue State, North Central Nigeria, have caused fatalities and economic disruption. Continuous structural health monitoring using low-power electronic sensor systems can provide early warning of critical deterioration. Aim: This project designed a low-power wireless sensor system for remote structural health monitoring of road bridges in Benue State. Methods: An accelerometer (ADXL355), strain gauge Wheatstone bridge, and temperature sensor were integrated with an STM32L microcontroller in ultra-low-power mode. A LoRa wireless module transmitted sensor data to a gateway at 1-hour intervals. System power consumption was optimised using sleep mode cycling. The prototype was evaluated on the Makurdi Bridge over a 30-day period. Results: Power consumption in monitoring mode averaged 2.4 mW, supporting a 12-month operational life on a 5Ah battery. Strain and acceleration data were successfully transmitted with 99.1% packet delivery rate. A sustained anomalous vibration event was detected and logged during a heavy lorry passage. Conclusion: The designed low-power structural monitoring system is technically feasible for bridge health monitoring in Benue State. Solar charging integration and multi-bridge network deployment are recommended for scaling. Keywords: structural health monitoring, bridge, low-power electronics, LoRa, Benue State.