A Filipino structural engineer has won the 2026 Global Sustainability Award of the James Dyson Award for developing a low-cost sensor that detects hidden structural damage in concrete buildings following earthquakes.
De La Salle University graduate Aldrei Ong received the distinction for Sentinel, an invention designed to monitor structural damage and provide early warnings of potential risks. He will receive PHP 2.39 million to further develop the technology.
The recognition comes as the Philippines remains vulnerable to earthquakes, with buildings potentially sustaining internal damage that may not be immediately visible after ground shaking.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake could cause an estimated 48,000 deaths and $48 billion in economic losses across Greater Metro Manila, according to figures cited by the award organizers.
Sentinel addresses the challenge of assessing building safety after earthquakes, when engineers may need to inspect numerous structures and determine whether they are safe for occupancy.
The invention transforms a concrete spacer block, commonly used during construction to keep reinforcing steel in position, into a sensor capable of detecting cracks and internal damage.
It uses self-sensing concrete containing conductive materials that allow electricity to pass through the block. When the material cracks or sustains damage, its electrical resistance changes, providing an indication of possible structural deterioration.
Embedded electrodes connect the blocks to an electronic module that monitors resistance changes against an initial reading. When significant changes are detected, the information is transmitted wirelessly to an online dashboard for remote monitoring.
Dyson Founder James Dyson said Sentinel could help identify damage that might otherwise remain undetected after an earthquake.
“After an earthquake, serious damage inside a concrete building can be invisible – and potentially fatal. Aldrei’s Sentinel cleverly turns a component already used in construction into a low-cost sensor that detects cracks and gives early warning of damage,” Mr. Dyson said in a statement.
Mr. Ong said the recognition would encourage him to continue developing the technology despite the challenges encountered during research.
“ This recognition gives me the confidence to keep pushing Sentinel forward, with the ambition of making buildings safer and helping people better understand the structures they depend on,” he said.
Mr. Ong developed Sentinel through his master’s research into self-sensing concrete, spending more than a year mixing, curing and testing over 125 concrete samples to refine the material.
The sensors have since been embedded in a building in the Philippines for real-world monitoring.
Following the award, Mr. Ong plans to continue validating the technology, replace its hand-soldered electronics with a custom printed circuit board and develop versions that could be installed in existing buildings.
The invention’s use of an existing construction component is intended to make it affordable and easier to incorporate into reinforced concrete structures without requiring an additional structural element.
Dr. Bernardo Lejano, a structural engineering professor at De La Salle University, said Mr. Ong’s continued research could help advance structural health monitoring and improve building safety assessments.
Mr. Ong’s win brings the James Dyson Award’s Global Sustainability distinction back to the Philippines six years after Filipino inventor Carvey Ehren Maigue won in 2020 for AuREUS, a technology that converts ultraviolet light into renewable electricity using materials derived from upcycled crop waste.
The 2026 competition received a record 2,294 entries from 28 countries and regions.
The Global Sustainability Winner shares the award’s global recognition with Rumble Rims, developed by Harvard University students Cleo Pontone, Radhika Saran and Sophia DeVito.
The James Dyson Award, now in its 21st year, is an international design competition that recognizes engineering inventions addressing practical problems. — Kaizzer Angela Marie V. Manuba