Design and implementation of an IoT-based monitoring system for direct-buried heating pipelines

Direct-buried heating pipelines are difficult to inspect directly, and underground operating conditions make timely detection of leakage, blockage, and structural deterioration challenging. To address this problem, this study develops an Internet of Things (IoT)-based monitoring system for direct-buried heating pipelines. A four-layer architecture, consisting of the perception layer, network transport layer, data processing layer, and application layer, was designed to integrate multi-parameter sensing, data transmission, storage, visualization, and alarm functions. The system was implemented and validated in two urban heating-pipeline projects. Field results demonstrate that the proposed system can reliably collect and transmit temperature, strain, displacement, and flow-rate data in real time with a sampling and upload interval of 60 s, providing continuous condition awareness of pipeline operation. The monitoring platform supports real-time visualization, historical data retrieval, and threshold-based alarm, enabling timely identification of abnormal conditions and improving operational decision-making. The field deployments further confirm the feasibility, stability, and engineering applicability of the proposed sensing–transmission–monitoring workflow under real service conditions. By enabling early fault warning and supporting predictive maintenance, the proposed system contributes to safer, more efficient, and more reliable management of urban heating networks.