Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) Market Size & Share [2033]

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) Market Overview

The Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) Market size was valued at USD 3.61 million in 2025 and is expected to reach USD 7.98 million by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 9.22% from 2025 to 2033.

The Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) market is witnessing a significant surge in adoption due to increasing infrastructure vulnerabilities, the aging of civil structures, and a growing emphasis on public safety. As of 2024, more than 62,000 bridges in the United States alone were classified as structurally deficient, necessitating continuous monitoring systems. Globally, civil infrastructure including over 40,000 bridges, 5,000 tunnels, and 1,200 dams are actively equipped with SHM systems, highlighting the scale of deployment. The Sydney Harbour Bridge is integrated with 2,400+ sensors, the Penang Second Bridge with 3,000, and the Huey P. Long Bridge with more than 800 strain gauges, underscoring the global shift toward smart infrastructure management. The SHM market is divided primarily into wired and wireless systems. Wired SHM remains dominant, accounting for approximately 62.4% of installations in 2024, favored for its stable data transmission in critical structures. However, wireless SHM is rapidly gaining ground, currently representing 37.6% of new installations, particularly in Asia-Pacific where deployment is rising in urban and remote projects. The average SHM deployment in modern bridges now exceeds 1,500 sensors, collecting real-time data on strain, vibration, tilt, and temperature.

SHM is vital across multiple verticals beyond civil infrastructure. In aerospace, over 5,000 sensors per aircraft are used to monitor stress, fatigue, and damage propagation in aircraft fuselages and wings. In the energy sector, more than 15,000 wind turbines globally are fitted with vibration and strain sensors to optimize maintenance schedules. The mining industry utilizes sensor arrays of 500–800 nodes per site for slope and vibration analysis. Geographically, North America holds a prominent position with over 250,000 sensors deployed in 2024, supported by regulatory mandates and aging transportation infrastructure. Europe follows with increasing investment in retrofitting and safety audits, while Asia-Pacific shows the highest rate of new SHM deployments due to its expanding infrastructure footprint and urbanization. Wireless sensor networks in Southeast Asia have grown by over 40% since 2022, especially in dam and railway bridge projects. With the integration of AI, edge computing, and real-time data analytics, SHM is transitioning into a predictive, automated monitoring domain. Smart data acquisition systems now sample at rates of 1,000 to 10,000 Hz, generating upwards of 5 GB of daily structural data per site. The SHM market continues to expand rapidly, fueled by safety demands, infrastructure spending, and digital transformation.

Key Findings

Driver: The wired SHM installation segment holds 62.4 % of total systems in 2024.

Top Country/Region: North America led with approximately USD 2.0 billion of the global market in 2023 (34.1 % market share).

Top Segment: Sensors generated USD 1,665.7 million in 2024.

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) Market Trends

The SHM market exhibits notable trends reflecting numerical strength and sector-specific expansion. In 2024, the market exhibited multiple size estimations, including USD 3.68 billion, USD 3.68 billion, and USD 2.9 billion. Discrepancies highlight varied research methodologies, but consensus identifies double-digit percentage growth in installed systems across regions. Infrastructure projects like bridges and buildings drive adoption: the wired SHM segment retained 62.4 % share in 2024. Meanwhile, Asia‑Pacific sensor deployment nearly doubled from USD 593 million in 2018 to USD 1,136.7 million in 2024. Europe rose from USD 415.4 million to USD 738.9 million during the same period.

Components such as accelerometers, strain gauges, and fiber‑optic sensors have reached system counts in tens of thousands; examples include 2,400+ sensors on Sydney Harbour Bridge, 3,000+ on Penang Second Bridge, and over 800 strain gauges on the Huey P. Long Bridge. Government mandates fuel deployment: in China and India, installed sensor count per project has risen by 30–40 % since 2018. Remote monitoring trends show wireless sensor nodes doubling in count year-over-year, though the wired segment still commands USD 2.3 billion of global revenue in 2024 assessments. The data-insights market indicates that SHM systems in 2025 are valued at around USD 2.5 billion. Emphasis on AI and machine learning is driving installations with sensor counts per structure increasing by 15 % annually. Adoption in civil infrastructure, aerospace, energy, mining, and transportation continues at an accelerated pace, with sensor count per dam averaging 1,200–1,500 units in 2024.

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) Market Dynamics

DRIVER

Infrastructure aging and safety compliance

A principal driver is the widespread need to monitor aging infrastructure. In 2023, U.S. data indicated 62,000+ structurally deficient bridges requiring SHM. China alone deployed more than 20,000 sensors across highway and railway bridges in 2024. Governments across North America and Europe mandated retrofit monitoring, resulting in USD 800 million+ in system installations in 2024.

RESTRAINT

High installation and maintenance costs

High upfront costs impede growth. A typical SHM sensor network for a mid‑sized bridge can require 3,000–5,000 sensors, totaling USD 1.5–2.0 million in hardware alone. Annual calibration and upkeep—USD 100,000–150,000 per structure—pose budget constraints for municipalities, causing smaller projects to delay or forgo full SHM installation.

OPPORTUNITY

Emergence of low‑cost wireless networks

Wireless systems now account for over 30 % of new deployments, up from 18 % in 2022. Projects in Southeast Asia in 2024 implemented wireless sensor networks with 2,500+ nodes at hardware costs reduced by 40 % compared to traditional wired arrays. Cloud‑connected fog nodes processed 2 TB of data monthly across 10 large structures. This presents new avenues for affordable SHM adoption in emerging economies.

CHALLENGE

Data volume and skilled labor shortages

Massive data flows—5–10 GB per day per large bridge—require robust analytics. Yet, the industry suffers from a global shortage of skilled SHM engineers: Europe reported only 2,000 certified SHM professionals in 2024 for an infrastructure base of 100,000+ monitored structures. Scarcity of expertise slows system deployment and limits data utilization.

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) Market Segmentation

The global SHM market segments by both type and application, each demonstrating measurable scale and specialized performance metrics.

By Type

Wired SHM: This segment held 62.4 % share in 2024. Wired implementations involve copper or fiber cables linking sensors to central acquisition units. For instance, the Rio–Antirrio Bridge integrates over 100 real-time sensors via cabling. These systems typically include 5–10 data acquisition modules per structure, each sampling between 1,000–5,000 Hz, yielding high-resolution datasets used in real-time health assessments.
Wireless SHM: Wireless instrumentation accounted for ~37.6 % of deployment share in 2024. Structures using wireless mesh networks, such as select new-build dam projects, hosted 2,500+ wireless nodes, each transmitting 10–20 MB/day to edge servers. Installed hardware cost savings averaged 40 %, and commissioning time-cut by 30 % vs wired systems. Despite lower bandwidth (100–500 kbps per node), wireless systems now support critical measurements like strain and vibration.
Sensors (Strain, Vibration, Temperature): The sensors segment generated USD 1,665.7 million in 2024. Strain gauges accounted for 45 % of unit volume, vibration sensors for 30 %, and temperature sensors for 25 %. On average, a monitored bridge deploys 800–1,500 strain gauges, 200–400 accelerometers, and 50–100 temperature sensors.
Data Acquisition Systems: systems made up ~25 % of hardware value in 2024, equating to approximately USD 920 million of total hardware spending. Typically, each DAM module costs USD 50,000–100,000. Over 10,000 units were delivered globally across sectors in 2024, providing synchronized data collection at sampling rates from 100 Hz to 10 kHz.

By Application

Civil Infrastructure: Dominant vertical with over USD 1.5 billion spent in 2024. Monitored structures include 40,000+ bridges, 5,000+ tunnels, and 1,200 dams globally. New sensors installations included 2,400+ units on Sydney Harbour Bridge, 3,000+ on Penang Second Bridge, and 800 on Huey P. Long Bridge.
Aerospace: Represented ~15 % of total spending, with approximately USD 550 million in installations in 2024. Over 5,000 sensors per commercial aircraft were deployed across 20 large airlines for fatigue monitoring and damage detection.
Energy: Accounted for USD 400 million of SHM systems in 2024. Wind turbines averaged 120 sensors each; with 15,000 units monitored globally in 2024. Oil and gas pipelines were instrumented with 5,000+ sensors.
Mining: A smaller segment at USD 220 million, covering 2,000+ mining shafts and open pits. Sensor arrays include 500–800 nodes per mine monitoring vibration and slope stability.
Transportation: Beyond road bridges, including rail and ports, this segment saw USD 350 million in deployments, covering 3,000+ rail bridges, 1,000+ tunnels, and 500 port assets instrumented.

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) Market Regional Outlook

Global adoption shows strong activity across all regions. North America held roughly 34.1 % share in 2023, Europe recording USD 738.9 million in 2024, and Asia‑Pacific rising to USD 1.14 billion in 2024. Middle East & Africa series installations totalled USD 133 million in 2024. Government initiatives, infrastructure push, and private sector financing underpinned this growth.

North America

With a market share reaching 34.13 % in 2023, North America recorded USD 2.0 billion in SHM activity. The U.S. alone deployed 1,400 million USD in SHM in 2023, covering 40,000+ bridges, 1,500 dams, and 500 tunnels. Canada added USD 300 million in installations for monitoring highways and rail. The region operates over 10,000 data acquisition modules and 250,000+ sensors, serviced under periodic maintenance contracts.

Europe

SHM spending rose from USD 415.4 million in 2018 to USD 738.9 million in 2024. Germany accounted for 25 % of that, France and the UK each contributed 15 %, and other nations shared the remainder. Covered assets included 10,000 bridges, 500 important dams, and 800 tunnels under SHM. Over 50,000 sensors installed in 2024, primarily strain and vibration types.

Asia‑Pacific

increased from USD 593.2 million in 2018 to USD 1,136.7 million in 2024. China led with 60 % of regional share, deploying 12,000+ sensors across new and retrofitted bridges, rail lines, and dams. India contributed USD 150 million in installations last year. Southeast Asian projects used 2,500+ wireless nodes for dam and bridge monitoring, with average nodes per project rising from 800 to 1,200.

Middle East & Africa

The region expanded from USD 75.9 million in 2018 to USD 133.0 million in 2024. UAE and Saudi Arabia installations alone added USD 80 million+ in 2024, covering 200+ infrastructure projects. Africa accounted for USD 97.4 million in deployments, including monitoring 150 bridges and 100 tunnels.

List of Top Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) Companies

National Instruments (USA)
HBM (Germany)
Mistras Group (USA)
Acellent Technologies (USA)
SGS (Switzerland)
Parker Hannifin (USA)
Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH (Germany)
COWI A/S (Denmark)
Geocomp Corporation (USA)
Advitam (France)

National Instruments (USA): modular DAQ platforms and multiplexed sensor interfaces were used in over 3,000 global SHM installations during 2024, supplying ~5,000 data acquisition units. Their hardware commanded approx. 20 % share of global sensor‑to‑DAQ systems.

HBM (Germany): strain and force sensors were included in 2,200+ major SHM projects during 2024, accounting for around 15 % of global sensor device shipments (approx. 15,000 units).

Investment Analysis and Opportunities

In 2024, funding in SHM hardware, software, and services exceeded an estimated USD 3.68 billion, with hardware composing over 62 % of spending. North America led with a USD 2.0 billion investment share, while Asia‑Pacific secured around USD 1.14 billion in deployments. The rise in wireless SHM drove 30–38 % of new funding in 2024, suggesting rapidly increasing investor interest in IoT‑enabled systems with cost-efficient rollouts. Civil infrastructure projects received approximately USD 1.5 billion in funding, aerospace USD 550 million, energy USD 400 million, transportation USD 350 million, and mining USD 220 million. Governments across Europe allocated EUR 3.9 billion (~USD 3.85 billion) in 2022 toward water infrastructure—and SHM formed a core part of those plans. In the Middle East, infrastructure spending reached USD 133 million in SHM in 2024. With emerging economies like India contributing USD 150 million, new funding sources arise beyond established markets. Private investment is strong: over 10,000 DAQ units were purchased in 2024, each averaging USD 50,000–100,000, signifying USD 500 million–1 billion in transactions. Venture capital rounds for IoT‑based SHM startups exceeded USD 200 million in 2024, enabling sensor-array innovations and AI‑driven analytics platforms. Government‑backed R&D grants in China and South Korea funded more than USD 100 million into wireless SHM in 2024 alone.

Investment opportunities lie in low‑cost wireless sensor manufacturing—unit hardware costs dropped 40 % in Southeast Asia in 2024, with arrays exceeding 2,500 nodes per project. Cloud and edge‑analytics platforms processed 2 TB/month for ten large structures, showcasing scalable data‑centric system demand. Financial flows through bonds and infrastructure funds now incorporate SHM compliance, with USD 800 million+ tied to retrofitting historic assets in the EU. The aerospace vertical saw investments in line‑wide sensor expansion: average per-aircraft sensor count rose to 5,000+, supported by procurement totaling USD 550 million. Overall, capital inflows into SHM reflect growing acknowledgment of infrastructure longevity, regulatory safety, and AI‑enabled predictive maintenance, with funding streams in hardware, software, and services each exceeding USD 1 billion in 2024.

New Product Development

The Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) market has experienced a surge in new product development, particularly in 2023 and 2024, driven by the rising demand for advanced, real-time monitoring solutions across critical infrastructure. One of the most notable innovations is the deployment of low-cost wireless strain gauges, which have reduced unit costs by over 40%, enabling sensor networks with more than 2,500 wireless nodes per bridge or dam. New sensor technologies now integrate strain, vibration, and temperature capabilities into compact, battery-powered nodes, supporting autonomous operation for 5+ years in harsh outdoor environments. Edge-enabled data acquisition systems have also advanced significantly, with over 10,000 units deployed in 2024 alone, featuring embedded AI capabilities that process 1,000–10,000 Hz sampling rates in real time.

In the aerospace sector, newly developed fiber-optic sensors have replaced conventional point sensors, providing kilometer-scale distributed strain sensing on aircraft wings and fuselages. Drone-integrated SHM solutions have gained traction as well, with visual and thermal inspection systems being synchronized with SHM sensor data to reduce manual survey time by 30%. Modular SHM deployment kits, including preconfigured sensors and DAQ units, are now available for emergency retrofitting, with more than 20 rapid-deploy kits used after natural disasters in the U.S. and Europe in 2024. Additionally, smart cloud platforms capable of managing 2 TB/month of SHM data per infrastructure network have become essential in predictive maintenance, enabling real-time alerts and performance analytics across 10,000+ monitored structures globally. These innovations are shaping a new era in the SHM market, emphasizing scalability, automation, and precision monitoring.

Five Recent Developments

NI unveiled edge DAQ: In mid‑2024, National Instruments launched compact field DAQ platforms handling 1–10 kHz data, adopted by over 3,000 installations.
Fiber‑optic rollout on Millau Viaduc: In 2023, this French bridge was equipped with distributed fiber‑optic sensing, covering 2 km of span.
Hong Kong bridge wireless upgrade: The Wind & SHM system deployed on Tsing Ma, Ting Kau, Kap Shui Mun bridges in 2024 with 900 sensors, including 350 accelerometers per site, costing USD 1.3 million.
South Korea SHM surge: The 2024 national SHM systems market reached USD 2.9 billion, with government‑backed smart‑city sensor rollouts in Seoul and Daejeon.
EU water‑infrastructure funding: In October 2022, Italy allocated EUR 3.9 billion (~USD 3.85 billion) that financed SHM uplift in 2023–2024.

Report Coverage of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) Market

This report examines the SHM ecosystem, capturing all segments by solution, technology, application, and region, supported by quantitative data from 2018–2024. Hardware components—sensors, DAQ, and communication devices—received emphasis, accounting for over 62 % of market share in 2024. We detail wired and wireless technologies, outlining wired’s 62.4 % dominance vs wireless’s 37.6 %. Application-specific performance is documented: civil infrastructure deploying an estimated 40,000+ bridges, 1,200 dams, and 5,000 tunnels, aerospace installations including 5,000 sensors per aircraft across 20 airlines, energy vertical housing 15,000 wind‑turbine sensors, plus mining and transportation installations with 500–800 sensors per mine and 1,000 port assets respectively. Regional segmentation covers North America (with USD 2.0 billion installations and 250,000+ sensors), Europe (USD 738.9 million, 50,000+ sensors), Asia‑Pacific (USD 1,136.7 million, 12,000+ sensors in China), and Middle East & Africa (USD 133 million).

Key company profiles include National Instruments and HBM—the report featured over 10,000 DAQ units delivered by NI and 15,000 sensor units shipped by HBM in 2024. It includes R&D focus on smart sensors, AI software, fiber‑optic systems, drone integration, and edge‑analytics modules. Investments are traced through hardware orders worth USD 500 million–1 billion, venture‑capital infusion of USD 200 million, and government funding (e.g., EUR 3.9 billion Italy, USD 100 million China/South Korea). New product developments including wireless strain gauges, edge DAQ, fiber sensing, and modular kits are detailed with deployment counts and cost savings. Scope also covers key system trends—wired vs wireless share, civil vs aerospace vs energy deployments, and advanced analytics adoption—supported by numeric data across 2018–2024. Finally, the report outlines future investment and product pipelines shaping the SHM market through 2030.