Intelligent Pavement for Traffic Flow Detection - FY09 NATSRL
Principal Investigator:
Xun Yu, Assistant Professor, UMD-Mechanical & Industrial Eng
Project Summary:
This project aims to explore a new approach for detecting vehicles on a roadway by making a roadway section itself act as a traffic flow detector. Sections of a given roadway are paved with carbon-nanotube (CNT)/cement composites, and the piezoresitive property of carbon nanotubes enables the composite to detect the traffic flow. Meanwhile, CNTs can also work as reinforcement elements to improve the strength and toughness of the concrete pavement. In contrast to current traffic flow detection technologies that require separate devices to be installed in either the pavement or over the road, this proposed sensing approach would enable the pavement itself to detect traffic flow parameters. The proposed sensor, therefore, is expected to have a long service life requiring little maintenance and to have wide-area detection capabilities.
Sponsors:
- ITS Institute (RITA)
Project Details:
- Start date: 07/2008
- Project Status: Active
- Research Area: Transportation Safety and Traffic Flow