Work

Vehicle Load Information Acquisition Using Roadside Micro-Electromechanical Systems Accelerometers

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Vehicle load is crucial for road design, maintenance, and expansion, while vehicle speed and lateral position are essential for traffic management and driving safety. This paper introduces a method for collecting vehicle speed, lateral position, and load information using roadside Micro-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) accelerometers located on the pavement. Firstly, this research analyzes the distribution of pavement vibration responses in both lateral and vertical directions based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) data provided in the literature. Then, pavement vibration data is collected by roadside sensors with a Full-scale Accelerated Loading Tester, considering varying vehicle speeds, loads, and lateral positions. The results reveal that the vertical peak acceleration increases linearly with vehicle speed within a range of 5-22 km/h, decreases following a power law as the lateral distance between the wheel center and sensor increases from 0.4 to 0.9 m, which is consistent with the trends observed in the literature's FEM data. The vibration energy of the vertical acceleration exhibits a positive linear correlation with the total vehicle load, with a correlation coefficient of 0.885. This approach offers a practical method for vehicle load estimation, optimal sensor deployment, and enhancement of pavement performance monitoring systems.

Source: Sensors

DOI: 10.3390/s25164901

Authors: Qian ZHAO, Zhoujin Ye, Mingwei HU, Kaihang HAN, Linbing Wang, Xiangshen CHEN