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A full-scale experimental facility for continuous monitoring of unbound granular materials in road pavements

Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The management of road networks requires improved and continuous monitoring solutions beyond traditional inspections focused on asphalt layers. Subgrade and unbound granular layers are essential for load distribution and structural performance, yet their deterioration is difficult to detect. This paper presents an experimental facility for continuous monitoring of unbound granular layers in flexible pavements. The site integrates bender elements, smart rocks, and conventional sensors to capture stiffness, permanent deformations, and environmental responses. Emphasis is placed on the data acquisition system, which collects multiple analogue signals through a local data hub. A dedicated control system, named “orchestrator”, schedules measurements, preprocesses and stores data, and manages structured storage in a local database with periodic transmission to a remote cloud platform. The resulting monitoring data support damage detection and bearing capacity assessment of unbound granular materials.
DOI: 10.1016/j.trpro.2026.07.095
Authors: José Neves, Hélder Silva, Sandra Pinto, Carolina Melendez, João Moutinho, Manuel Parente, João Afonso, Simona Fontul, Miguel Azenha, Ionut Moldovan, António Gomes Correia
Institutions: University of Lisbon, Instituto Superior Técnico, BUILT CoLAB, University of Minho, National Laboratory for Civil Engineering, Universidade Lusófona
Language: English
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7204199352
FWCI:
Cites: 9
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Related to: 10