Investigation of Bonding Materials for Traffic Monitoring Equipment: Properties of Selected Formulated Materials

Abstract

Planning for new construction and rehabilitation requires accurate knowledge of traffic volume, vehicle classification, and axle loads. Monitoring and controlling the movements of cars and other vehicles will grow increasingly important in the foreseeable future. To estimate the number of vehicles, truck weights, and speed, piezoelectric axle detectors placed into pavements are used. In Texas several thousand devices at over 1,000 sites are maintained and regularly monitored on-line. It is essential that the installation of monitoring devices be fast, easy, usable in all types of pavements, and reliable without requiring maintenance or reinstallation for a reasonable length of time. Bonding materials are needed to install the monitoring devices in the pavement. A study was conducted to select materials that would perform satisfactorily. Several chemically different materials were tested. Descriptions of the laboratory testing program, field installations, test results, and conclusions are presented.