As operating equipment and structures age, the probability of failure increases. Increasing inspection cycles (over some fixed period of time) with conventional nondestructive evaluation (NDE) is one way to address this problem but it comes at a cost. In addition, an uncertainty exists that the right area(s) have been inspected during one of these inspection cycles. As a result, there is a need for a technique and method that provides the user with real time information about structural integrity or operating conditions. This technique and method must be cost effective and minimize the need for a person to be near the structure operating equipment in order to obtain data on a continuous basis.

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