ARGUS-VM Unlocks Sensor-Free Fleet-Wide Structural Insights for ABS SMART(SHM) Tier 1 Compliance

Oslo, Norway: Light Structures AS, the global leader in structural monitoring technology for maritime and offshore industries, has introduced a virtual Structural Health Monitoring solution developed to support compliance with ABS SMART(SHM) Tier 1 notation. ARGUS-VM offers a practical and cost-effective route to reduce lifecycle costs across vessels and fleets, while also enhancing condition-based maintenance systems and broader vessel performance initiatives.

As smarter, more connected vessel operations become mainstream, Tier 1 of the ABS SMART(SHM) framework introduces a sensor-free approach to structural health monitoring. ARGUS-VM delivers on this by combining real-world AIS data and hindcast wave models with vessel-specific digital models to generate reliable estimates of structural stress and fatigue, enabling shipowners and operators to gain valuable insight into hull integrity without physical sensors.

Powered by Light Structures’ proprietary virtual monitoring engine, the system transforms vessel position, speed, and environmental data into structural health indicators and fatigue trends in near real time. Insights are delivered via onboard or shore-based interfaces, while an integrated API enables seamless connection to class-approved smart technologies and broader digital platforms—offering a scalable, cost-efficient route to fleet-wide structural insight.

ARGUS-VM also provides a clear upgrade path to full sensor-based monitoring, including alignment with Tier 3 of the ABS SMART(SHM) notation, which involves onboard sensing using Light Structures’ SENSFIB platform. Tier 3 features real-time safety alerts and high-fidelity data on local and global stress, fatigue accumulation, slamming events, vibration effects, and structural responses at critical points across the vessel. This sensor-based insight supports proactive maintenance, risk-based inspection strategies, and real-time data for digital twin and vessel modelling.

With ABS Approval in Principle for ARGUS-VM already issued, Light Structures has taken an important step in making structural monitoring more accessible and actionable. The system offers an efficient entry point to class-supported SHM that helps improve safety, reduce unplanned downtime, and extend vessel lifespan.

ARGUS-VM is available now and is suitable for both newbuilds and retrofits. For more information, contact Light Structures or visit the company website.

About Light Structures AS

Light Structures AS was founded in 2001 as a spin-off from the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment and is now established as the leading provider of turnkey fiber optic stress and fatigue monitoring systems based on Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) technology. Light Structures leverages its passion for monitoring to deliver custom solutions based on its SENSFIB^TM portfolio for the qualification of uncertainties in relation to ship and maritime asset design, safety and operations. More than 300 SENSFIB^TM systems have been installed globally for diverse applications, vessels and customers. Light Structures is headquartered in Oslo and has a growing network of international offices. SENSFIB^TM solutions are sold through a dedicated network of partners and agents worldwide. www.lightstructures.com

About SENSFIB^TM

The patented and intrinsically safe SENSFIB^TM range unlocks environmental and financial benefits by giving ship owners and operators the potential to avoid incidents before they happen or to gain a deeper understanding of causes during incident investigation. The range includes diverse solutions that can be customized for specific applications such as Hull Stress Monitoring, FPSO Monitoring, Ice Load Monitoring, Sloshing Monitoring, and the customized HullInfo application. In addition to real-time operational data for decision support on board, SENSFIB^TM also provides data for Active Fatigue Management reports, which can contribute to reducing operational cost and extending a vessel’s lifetime. Leveraging the reliability and precision of FBG technology, SENSFIB^TM provides unique visibility into asset integrity, enabling improved predictive & condition-based monitoring to be integrated in newbuild vessels or retrofits. Data from SENSFIB^TM systems is available on dedicated user terminals, through integrated automation and control systems, and as part of IoT networks and cloud-based operational platforms.