New tools for road assessment
Effective road management requires real-time information, which road sensors provide. Yet, current technologies suffer certain limitations, meaning that performance of the road network suffers. The EU-funded TRIMM (Tomorrow's road infrastructure monitoring and management) project aimed to develop and implement suitable technologies. Other goals included highlighting and assessing the potential benefits of such devices. Researchers developed monitoring tools for assessing bridge conditions. The tools helped with assessing the state of bridge components and the early detection of structural damage. Furthermore, the tools suggested optimal maintenance action. Certain road sensors were installed on vehicles, providing continuous low-quality ride measurement data. The group also evaluated existing methods for monitoring pavement surface and structural conditions, resulting in new applications. Project work has also helped to improve road assessment, plus the ability to inventory road features such as signs, markings and barriers. Researchers considered how the measurement innovations might be integrated into existing systems and using accepted performance indices. Work included new methods for making business cases, enabling quick and effective assessment of the project's monitoring innovations. The TRIMM project's new road sensors, plus new methods of implementation and assessment, have resulted in more effective and economical road monitoring and maintenance.
Keywords
Road assessment, road sensors, bridge, pavement
