Toward an Integrated Smart Sensing System and Data Interpretation Techniques for Pavement Fatigue Monitoring

Currently, pavement instrumentation for condition monitoring is done on a localized and short-term basis. Existing technology does not allow for continuous long-term monitoring and network level deployment. Long-term monitoring of mechanical loading for pavement structures could reduce maintenance costs, improve longevity, and enhance safety. In this article, on-going research to develop and validate a smart pavement monitoring system is described. The system mainly consists of a novel self-powered wireless sensor based on the integration of piezoelectric transduction with floating-gate injection capable of detecting, storing, and transmitting strain history for long-term monitoring and a novel passive temperature gauge. A technique for estimating full-field strain distributions using measured data from a limited number of implemented sensors is also described. The ultimate purpose is to incorporate the traffic wander effect in the fatigue prediction algorithms. Preliminary results are shown and limitations are discussed.