Abstract:
The need to identify overloading by heavy trucks is recognized throughout Europe as a serious problem. The characteristics of Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors make this technology an amazing tool for a new concept of Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) system. In brief, this is a system with the following aspects: fiber-optic sensor; no electricity line; very high precision; no influences from magnetic fields; and weatherability. Therefore, WIM research is aimed at developing a prototype with very high performance in heavy vehicle monitoring and managing. The system will allow the real-time and high-precision monitoring of weight, speed, and length of passing vehicles on a road section. WIM systems based on FBG technology have garnered great interest for many years and different solutions have been tested. A new idea has been developed by the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development: to measure the WIM through the energy dissipation during the deformation instead of the deformation measurement itself.
