Development of a Wireless Communication System for Concrete Pavement Health Monitoring

Abstract

In recent years, structural health monitoring and management (SHM) has become a popular approach and is considered essential for achieving well-performing, long-lasting, sustainable transportation infrastructure systems. Key requirements in ideal SHM of road infrastructure include long-term, continuous, and real-time monitoring of pavement behavior under various pavement geometry-materials-loading configurations and environmental conditions. With advancements in wireless technologies, integration of wireless communications into sensing device is considered an alternate and superior solution to existing time- and labor-intensive wired sensor systems to meet these requirements. This study explored the development and deployment of a wireless communications sub-system into a commercial off-the-shelf concrete pavement monitoring sensor system. The overall goal was to investigate the feasibility of developing wireless based Micro-Electromechanical Sensors and Systems (MEMS) by integrating a wireless network system with off-the-shelf MEMS sensors. A success rate test was performed after the wireless transmission system was buried in the concrete slab, and the test results indicated that the system was able to provide reliable communications at a distance of more than 46 m (150 ft.). This will be a useful feature for highway engineers performing routine pavement scans from the pavement shoulder without the need for traffic control or road closure.