Intelligent structural health monitoring of composite structures using machine learning, deep learning, and transfer learning: a review

Structural health monitoring (SHM) methods are essential to guarantee the safety and integrity of composite structures, which are extensively utilized in aerospace, automobile, marine, and infrastructure industry. The deterioration of composite structures is primarily caused by operational and environmental variability. To address this issue, artificial intelligence (AI) techniques are being integrated into the SHM systems to enhance the performance of composite structures via digital transformation and big data analysis. Therefore, the present article aims to provide a critical review of AI models, including machine learning, deep learning, and transfer learning, to preserve and sustain composite structures throughout their life. The article covers the complete SHM process for composite structures, including sensing technologies, data-preprocessing, feature extraction, and decision-making process. Thus, the health monitoring of composites is presented in consideration of modern AI techniques, accompanied by the identification of current challenges and potential future research directions.