Increasing public and environmental safety through integrated monitoring and analysis of structural and ground deformations.

Any engineered or natural structure, when subjected to loading, undergoes deformation and/or rigid body movements. Once the deformation, its velocity and/or acceleration exceed critical values, the structure fails. The critical values are determined using failure criteria that are based upon either empirical formulae or principles of continuum mechanics. By providing continuous and properly designed deformation monitoring schemes, one may provide information about the new state of the deformation. This information can then be used to provide advance warning of imminent structural failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]