Intelligent Pavement for Traffic Flow Detection - Phase II - FY10 NATSRL
Principal Investigator:
Xun Yu, Assistant Professor, UMD-Mechanical & Industrial Eng
Project Summary:
This project, the second phase of a NATSRL project from 2009, aims to explore a new approach to detecting vehicles on roadways by making sections of the road itself into traffic-flow detectors. Sections of a given roadway are paved with carbon nanotube-enhanced pavement; the piezoresitive property of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) enables the pavement to detect traffic flow. CNTs also work as reinforcement elements and improve the strength and toughness of concrete pavement. The proposed sensor will have a long service life and be capable of wide-area vehicle detection. Lab tests have already demonstrated that CNT-based cement can detect the mechanical stress levels for both static and dynamic loads. For the rest of 2009 and into 2010, researchers will be performing road tests to evaluate the new traffic sensor. In 2010, researchers will also design a signal-processing and analysis system that will retrieve the traffic data from the sensor.
Sponsors:
- ITS Institute (RITA)
Project Details:
- Start date: 06/2009
- Project Status: Active
- Research Area: Transportation Safety and Traffic Flow