A sensor network comprises at least one lateral optical fiber and at least one longitudinal optical fiber. The lateral fiber comprises optical sensors coupled to a pavement in a transverse orientation relative to a direction of vehicle travel along the pavement. The longitudinal fiber comprises optical sensors coupled to the pavement in a longitudinal orientation relative to the direction of vehicle travel. The optical sensors are configured to produce wavelength shift signals comprising one or more lateral strain signals associated with the lateral fiber and one or more tangential strain signals associated with the longitudinal fiber. A processor is operatively coupled to the sensor network and configured to determine a weight of vehicles moving along the pavement based on the lateral and tangential strain signals. A transmitter is operatively coupled to the processor and configured to transmit the weight of vehicles to a predetermined location.

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 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 determines load values from strain values. The load values correspond to vertical loads exerted by wheels of vehicles traveling along a trafficway, wherein the trafficway has a surface layer arranged on a subconstruction. The method includes providing a model of at least the surface layer, conducting a training phase, and conducing a production phase. Further disclosed is a method for determining weights of vehicles in motion on a trafficway. A plurality of measured strain values is determined from a plurality of strain gauges. A plurality of load values is determined, based at least on the plurality of measured strain values. An indication of a weight of a vehicle is determined, based at least on the plurality of load values. A roadside processing unit, a computing system, and a machine-readable medium are also provided.

An advance in the art is made according to aspects of the present disclosure directed to the detection and localization of a substantially static weight situated on aerial telecommunications fiber optic cable through the effect of phase-distributed acoustic sensing (ϕ-DAS) and signal analysis of ambient data. In sharp contrast to the prior art, our inventive method does not require a special optical fiber arrangement or type of fiber nor is it susceptible to range limitations that plague the prior art.

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 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.).

The present invention relates to the technical field of systems for measurement of weight load and other physical variables in vehicles and/or containers, comprising a system of sensing and monitoring of their conditions, instantaneous or not. Consists of an external data collection subsystem (SSI) with module with sensing network (1), signal transduction module (2) and connection module (3); of a data processing and reading subsystem (SSII) with energizing module (4); reading and data acquisition module (5); processing and memory module (6); and data transmission subsystem (SSIII) with data communication module (7). The system has advantages, does not present false sensor measurements, that allow wide multiplexing, no electricity, high signal and there is no electromagnetic interference, they are robust, do not suffer corrosion and do not fail due to vibration and mechanical impacts.

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 present invention relates to a system for monitoring dynamic e weighing of vehicles, speed of vehicles on lanes, applied to the monitoring of road traffic variables, traffic control, maintenance and infrastructure, diagnosis of traffic problems, on toll roads and in the application of fines in irregular traffic situations, through the technology of optical fiber, with punctual and quasi-distributed sensors, that allow for quick response, to be encapsulated, to ease the process of installation and/or to protect the sensing optical fiber, to employ specific materials, they can be assembled in advanced configurations of optical networks and with the advantages of having a lower cost and prolonged shelf-life when compared to the other technologies; the sensors can be multiplexed, have high spatial resolution across the pavement, and manufacturing technology is simple and inexpensive and transferable due to associated costs.