Wireless vibrating strain gauge for smart civil structures

A gauge includes a wire, a housing, a coil, a processor, and a power supply. The wire is mounted in the housing to vibrate at a natural frequency. The coil is magnetically coupled to the wire. The processor is connected to provide a digital signal to the coil and the processor is further connected to detect when the wire is vibrating. An embodiment provides an efficient technique to excite the wire into vibration. Another embodiment enables long term operation from a small battery. Another embodiment enables wireless communications to be used, eliminating the need for cable runs.