Two-dimensional thin structural elements, such as plates, shells, and membranes, are used to introduce pre-stress while loading. Lateral vibrations and elastic stability are very common problems associated with thin-walled industrial structures, posing a high risk of structural failure in the buckling mode. This paper aims to test the possibility of detecting bucking failure of steel plates utilising vibration response obtained from surface-bonded lead zirconate titanate (PZT) patches and the global vibration and electromechanical impedance (EMI) approach. Experimental proof-of-concept testing is carried out on elastically constrained flat plates in the form of steel columns. The plates are loaded under compression till the onset of the buckling phenomenon. In addition, the test specimens are subjected to both EMI and global vibration techniques, in order to find critical buckling parameters for thin structural elements. While structural instability creeps into the system, the fundamental frequencies of global vibrations are calibrated and compared to see whether there is any shift. It is found that both the PZT-based low-frequency global vibration and the EMI technique are capable to detect the buckling prognosis, though the former technique is more expedient. This study also included the arrangement of pin-pin end connection through an experimental setup to yield the thin plate buckling. The sensor results for the Global vibration technique and Electro-mechanical impedance (EMI) technique are satisfactory for the pin-pin connection. © 2022, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.