Deploying Weigh-In-Motion Installations on Asphalt Concrete Pavements (0-5551-1)

The strategic plan for establishing a vehicle weight monitoring net across Texas calls for deploying two technology types - piezoelectric and bending plate systems, and seeks to install weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems in roadways that are under new construction or re-construction. Because the goal is to provide accurate truck weight data for pavement design, the strategic plan prefers deploying WIM installations on 500-ft continuously reinforced concrete pavements. While these pavements have, from experience, provided suitable stable foundations for WIM sensors, building a continuously reinforced concrete pavement is expensive. This project aimed to find less costly but equally viable alternatives for deploying WIM installations by developing guidelines for finding sections within existing asphalt concrete pavements that provide the level of smoothness, pavement support, and projected service life deemed suitable for weigh-in-motion sites, particularly for installations that use piezoelectric technology. Additionally, the project sought to evaluate the use of solar cells to power WIM systems, and wireless alternatives for data communication. These alternatives become particularly relevant in areas where bringing electrical and telephone wires to the site would add significantly to the cost of the WIM installation.