<DIV>Sensors for civil infrastructure performance assessment and health monitoring have evolved significantly over the past decade with advances through high speed and low-cost electronic circuits, advances in fabrication and manufacturing methodologies, use of novel “smart” materials, and development of highly efficient signal validation and processing methods. Volume 1 of this two-volume series describes sensing hardware and data collection covering a variety of sensors, including fiber optic systems, acoustic emission, piezoelectric sensors, and electromagnetic sensors, ultrasonic methods, radar and millimeter wave technology, strain gauges, micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), multifunctional materials and nanotechnology for sensing, and vision-based sensing and lasers.</div>