An interferometric radar sensor for monitoring the vibrations of structures at short ranges

Abstract

The Real-Aperture-Radar (RAR) interferometry technique consolidated in the last decade as an operational tool for the monitoring of large civil engineering structures as bridges, towers, and buildings. In literature, experimental campaigns collected through a well-known commercial equipment have been widely documented, while the cases where different types of sensors have been tested are a few. On the bases of some experimental tests, a new sensor working at high frequency, providing some improved performances, is here discussed. The core of the proposed system is an off-the-shelf, linear frequency modulated continuous wave device. The development of this apparatus is aimed at achieving a proof-of-concept, tackling operative aspects related to the development of a low cost and reliable system. The capability to detect the natural frequencies of a lightpole has been verified; comparing the results of the proposed sensor with those ones obtained through a commercial system based on the same technique, a more detailed description of the vibrating structure has been achieved. The results of this investigation confirmed that the development of sensors working at higher frequencies, although deserving deeper studies, is very promising and could open new applications demanding higher spatial resolutions at close ranges.