A weighing device for determining a center of gravity of a motor vehicle includes at least two weighing elements where a respective measured value characterizing a weight of the motor vehicle is determinable by each of the at least two weighing elements. The respective measured values are receivable from the at least two weighing elements by a computing device and the center of gravity of the motor vehicle is determinable depending on the respective measured values by the computing device. An alignment of the at least two weighing elements relative to one another is adjustable by a displacement device.

A modular pavement slab comprises a body, a strain sensor array, and a sensor processor. The body includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and four side surfaces. The modular pavement slab is configured to be coupled to at least one other modular pavement slab via connectors along at least one of the side surfaces. The strain sensor array is retained within the body and is configured to detect a plurality of strains on the body resulting from vehicular traffic across the top surface of the body. The sensor processor is in communication with the strain sensor array. The sensor processor is configured to communicate input signals to the strain sensor array, receive output signals from the strain sensor array, and determine a plurality of time-varying strain values, each strain value indicating a strain experienced over time by a successive one of a plurality of regions of the body.

The invention relates to a method for calculating the weight of a load moving on scales (1). According to the method, a load signal of the scales is determined over a period of time using the speed of the load, and several partial load signals (TL.sub.1, TL.sub.2) are used, the total thereof providing the load signal, a first partial load signal (TL.sub.1) displaying a maximum value as long as the load is fully on the weighing section of the scales (1), and a second partial load signal (TL.sub.2) displaying a minimum value as long as the load is completely removed from the weighing section of the scales (1), and the speed of the movement of the load is determined from said partial load signals (TL.sub.1 and TL.sub.2). The invention also relates to scales for carrying out said method, comprising two weighing units (10, 11) with flexible deformation elements on which deformation sensors (7, 15), which generate the partial load signals (TL.sub.1,TL.sub.2), are arranged.

A modular pavement slab comprises a body, a strain sensor array, and a sensor processor. The body includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and four side surfaces. The modular pavement slab is configured to be coupled to at least one other modular pavement slab via connectors along at least one of the side surfaces. The strain sensor array is retained within the body and is configured to detect a plurality of strains on the body resulting from vehicular traffic across the top surface of the body. The sensor processor is in communication with the strain sensor array. The sensor processor is configured to communicate input signals to the strain sensor array, receive output signals from the strain sensor array, and determine a plurality of time-varying strain values, each strain value indicating a strain experienced over time by a successive one of a plurality of regions of the body.

A method for determining the weight G of a vehicle (1) while the vehicle is travelling on a section (3) of road (4) uses at least one weigh-in-motion (WIM) sensor (5) that is narrower than the length of the footprint of a wheel in the direction of vehicle travel. When the vehicle (1) travels along this section (3) of road (4) both the wheel loads F.sub.i(t) of all the wheels (2) or twin wheels i, and the speed v.sub.i(t) of the vehicle (1) during the entire passing are acquired as time functions, and during evaluation of the data for determining the weight G the speeds v.sub.i(t) and their change over time are used as weighting of the simultaneously determined wheel loads F.sub.i(t).

A weight measuring system for weighing an object, the weight measuring system comprising at least one weighing mechanism having a deformable fluid filled chamber, the at least one weighing mechanism operable to receive at least a portion of an object; a sensor unit operable to determine at least one measurable criteria of the fluid filled chamber and provide output sensor data indicative of the measurable criteria, and a processor operable to act upon the output sensor data and, when an object is received by the system, operable to provide weight data indicative of the weight of at least a portion of the object.

A modular pavement slab comprises a body, a strain sensor array, and a sensor processor. The body includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and four side surfaces. The modular pavement slab is configured to be coupled to at least one other modular pavement slab via connectors along at least one of the side surfaces. The strain sensor array is retained within the body and is configured to detect a plurality of strains on the body resulting from vehicular traffic across the top surface of the body. The sensor processor is in communication with the strain sensor array. The sensor processor is configured to communicate input signals to the strain sensor array, receive output signals from the strain sensor array, and determine a plurality of time-varying strain values, each strain value indicating a strain experienced over time by a successive one of a plurality of regions of the body.

An apparatus and method for determining the total weight of a vehicle either statically or dynamically using the same weight scale. The apparatus is a weight scale for weighing vehicles that is of sufficient length that a plurality of axle sets of a vehicle can be located on the weight scale simultaneously. The apparatus senses the total weight of the vehicle as a function of time within the period of time the vehicle is on the weight scale. The apparatus obtains the vehicle weight statically if all of the axle sets of a vehicle are located on the weight scale simultaneously and the vehicle is in a stopped condition and obtains the vehicle weight dynamically if all of the axle sets of the vehicle are located on the weight scale simultaneously and the vehicle is moving on the weight scale.

A roadway segment includes a body having a length along a direction of travel, a width along a width axis, and top and bottom halves along a depth axis. The segment also includes a strain sensor array with one or more optical fiber cables embedded in the bottom half of the body. The strain sensor array includes vehicle-strain sensors configured to detect strain on the body resulting from vehicles traveling across the top surface. The segment also includes a processor that operates the plurality of vehicle-strain sensors at a resolution of not greater than one picometer (1 pm). Any segments of the optical fiber cable(s) that intersect are separated from one another depth wise by at least two-tenths of an inch (0.2 in.). Each of the sensors is separated from each other along the width axis by at least two inches (2 in.).

A modular pavement slab comprises a body, a strain sensor array, and a sensor processor. The body includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and four side surfaces. The modular pavement slab is configured to be coupled to at least one other modular pavement slab via connectors along at least one of the side surfaces. The strain sensor array is retained within the body and is configured to detect a plurality of strains on the body resulting from vehicular traffic across the top surface of the body. The sensor processor is in communication with the strain sensor array. The sensor processor is configured to communicate input signals to the strain sensor array, receive output signals from the strain sensor array, and determine a plurality of time-varying strain values, each strain value indicating a strain experienced over time by a successive one of a plurality of regions of the body.