Textile materials are  used extensively in construction.  In geotechnical applications, these materials provide reinforcement for slopes, retaining walls, roadways, embankments, as well as various drainage structures.  In masonry applications, textiles are growing in importance as they provide a non-intrusive technique to increase the reinforcing strength (typically shear) of the structure.  Common applications include localized crack repair, large area reinforcement, and the wrapping of existing columns.  Across both geotechnical and masonry applications, textile materials improve structural performance under service conditions and provide protection in the event of earthquake, landslide, accident, or other unforeseen loading condition.

Embedding sensors of different types into textile materials enables very powerful advantages.  Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) becomes possible during construction, under in-service conditions, and post-tragedy (i.e. after an earthquake or flood).  Such measurements can validate the expected  performance of a structure, be used for system identification in the updating or development of predictive models, or provide continuous or periodic assessments on the integrity and safe performance of the structure being monitored.  In earthen structures, this can include the presence of contaminants in the soil surrounding a landfill, or in masonry structures, the width of a crack exceeding a prescribed threshold.

POLYTECT spans and includes: the creation of new and innovative sensing mechanisms, mortars, coatings, and polymers; nanoparticles, pezioelectric materials, fiber-optic sensors, and the weaving and fabrication of sensors into textile materials; building data aquisition and interrogation units to collect data from the sensors; and creating algorithms, software applications, and management techniques that exploit the collected information.   Interested parties in sensor-embedded textiles include but are not limited to anyone involved in the design, construction, or life-cycle management of roads, airfields, retaining walls, embankments, railways, landfills, drainage structures, contamination detection, mitigation, or prevention, waste management, environmental protection and control, earthqauke hardening of historical structures, column reinforcement, and the retrofit or repair of existing masonry structures.