14 May 2026
Alper Kanyilmaz is organizing the workshop “Dual-Use Telecommunication Fiber Optics for Structural Performance Assessment”, which will take place on May 14, 2026, at Politecnico di Milano.
The workshop will bring together leading experts in structural engineering, dynamics, and metrology to explore how existing telecommunication fiber-optic networks can be leveraged for large-scale structural health monitoring. This emerging approach offers a promising pathway toward transforming already deployed infrastructure into distributed sensing systems for real-time, city-scale performance assessment.
The program includes contributions from Alper Kanyilmaz (Politecnico di Milano), Simone Donadello (INRIM), Hasan Ceylan (Politecnico di Milano), Alessandro Menghini (Politecnico di Milano), and Pierpaolo Boffi (Politecnico di Milano), addressing topics such as dual-purpose telecom fiber-optic infrastructure, laser interferometry for structural sensing, and stress-field estimation from fiber strain data. The afternoon session will include invited talks by Guido De Roeck (KU Leuven, Belgium), Carmelo Gentile (Politecnico di Milano), and Ayse Hortacsu (Applied Technology Council, USA), focusing on lessons learned from optical fiber strain measurements, operational modal analysis for long-term structural health monitoring, and post-earthquake assessment frameworks integrating SHM data into decision-making processes.
Particular attention will be given to the dual-use concept, where telecommunication infrastructure serves not only for data transmission but also as a pervasive sensing network. This paradigm has the potential to significantly reduce monitoring costs while increasing spatial coverage and reliability, enabling more resilient and data-informed infrastructure management.
The workshop is part of the MSCA-PF FORESIGHT project on fiber optic–based structural health monitoring, funded by the European Union. It will conclude with a panel discussion among all speakers addressing open challenges and future research directions in this rapidly evolving field.
The event will be held at the Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC), Politecnico di Milano.
More information and registration details are available at: https://www.polimi.it/en/education/specializing-masters-and-postgraduateprogrammes/master-detail/563
