Phase 2: Location Tracking of Test Vehicles for Bridge Load Rating

摘要

The purpose of this research project is to augment the work of the Phase 1 project, 930-671, which provides the bridge maintenance bureau with tools for load testing of bridges. Currently, the load testing team uses sensors and weighted trucks to load bridges in a controlled fashion. The sensors then collect data from the bridges under load conditions, and from this data the proper bridge rating can be determined. However, the ALDOT load testing team desires to capture the exact position of the load vehicle with respect to the sensor data. In order to accomplish this, they need an additional system which can measure the vehicle position and automatically feed this information into the data acquisition system in real-time. In Phase 1 (project 930-671), the research team developed such a device using an optical tracker which when mounted to the test vehicle, would provide position of the vehicle relative to the road surface. This system provided both tracking and a data readout in cab of the test vehicle.