TECHNOLOGY FOCUS TRAFFIC DATA COLLECTION
A new way of looking at traffic
IRD’s VectorSense sensor provides augmented traffic data, as Rod Klashinsky explains
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n-road sensors such as inductive loops, piezoelectric sensors, and weigh-in-motion scales have a long history of providing reli- able traffic data. These sensors, coupled with sophisticated elec-
tronics and data analysis software, provide professionals across Canada with valuable information to make decisions about road- way design and maintenance. Now, with International Road Dynamics’ introduction of the
VectorSense Sensor, planners have another tool that offers new ways to look at traffic. VectorSense doesn’t just provide counts or weights, it also measures a key vehicle characteristic – individual tire footprints.
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE DATA The trucking industry has strong incentives to adopt wide-base single tires in place of the dual tire configurations they have tra- ditionally used. Wide-base tires reduce tire weight, lower fuel costs, provide easier air-pressure maintenance, provide longer brake life, and have a lower initial cost than dual tires. However, the degree to which they affect road surfaces has not been fully
considered in current predictive models. An Ontario Ministry of Transportation research project, conducted in 2006, indicated that damage from wide-base tires could potentially cause 2 to 3.5 times the overall damage caused by dual tires. While other studies have produced different estimates of the degree of dam- age, there is strong evidence that wide-base tires have a greater impact on pavement wear than dual tires. MEPDG (Mechanistic- Empirical Pavement Design Guide) does not adequately predict damage from wide-base tires without adjustment. In addition to weight and class data, tire footprint data is
needed to provide an adequate predictive model, and VectorS- ense Sensors have been developed to fill this gap in traffic data collection. In addition to tire type, VectorSense will provide data inputs for MEPDG such as lane position, lane wander, lateral load distribution, axle spacing, wheelbase and axle width. VectorSense also provides information that can be used for
safety screening at inspection stations, such as whether a tire is over or under inflated, or whether a tire is missing on a set of dual wheels.
VectorSense tire sensor suite
installation at the MnRoad pavement test track
CONNECTED CANADA SUPPLEMENT 12
www.thinkinghighways.com
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