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. 2017 Dec 14;17(12):2912.
doi: 10.3390/s17122912.

A Novel Concrete-Based Sensor for Detection of Ice and Water on Roads and Bridges

Habib Tabatabai  1 , Mohammed Aljuboori  2
Affiliations

A Novel Concrete-Based Sensor for Detection of Ice and Water on Roads and Bridges

Habib Tabatabai et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

Hundreds of people are killed or injured annually in the United States in accidents related to ice formation on roadways and bridge decks. In this paper, a novel embedded sensor system is proposed for the detection of black ice as well as wet, dry, and frozen pavement conditions on roads, runways, and bridges. The proposed sensor works by detecting changes in electrical resistance between two sets of stainless steel poles embedded in the concrete sensor to assess surface and near-surface conditions. A preliminary decision algorithm is developed that utilizes sensor outputs indicating resistance changes and surface temperature. The sensor consists of a 102-mm-diameter, 38-mm-high, concrete cylinder. Laboratory results indicate that the proposed sensor can effectively detect surface ice and wet conditions even in the presence of deicing chlorides and rubber residue. This sensor can further distinguish black ice from ice that may exist within concrete pores.

Keywords: black ice; bridge decks; concrete; electrical resistance; ice detection; pavements; safety.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Dimensions of the proposed sensor: (a) Top view; (b) Section A-A.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic of the proposed sensor: (a) Top view; (b) Bottom view.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Pole details: (a) LU; (b) LUS.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Wheatstone bridge.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Installation of sensor on existing concrete deck/pavement.
Figure 6
Figure 6
British Pendulum Tester and the concrete slab specimen.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Friction results under different surface conditions.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Surface ice formation on cold SP-I sensor.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Resistance (and voltage) versus surface temperature for all DR tests (LUS Poles).
Figure 10
Figure 10
Resistance (and voltage) versus surface temperature for all FR tests (LUS Poles).
Figure 11
Figure 11
Resistance (and voltage) vs. surface temperature for DR and FR tests (LU Poles).
Figure 12
Figure 12
Resistance (and voltage) versus surface temperature for all SI tests (LUS Poles).
Figure 13
Figure 13
Resistance (and voltage) versus surface temperature for all SI tests (LU Poles).
Figure 14
Figure 14
Resistance (and voltage) versus surface temperature for other tests (LUS Poles).
Figure 15
Figure 15
Resistance (and voltage) versus surface temperature for all SP-I prototype tests (LUS Poles).
Figure 16
Figure 16
Resistance (and voltage) versus surface temperature for all SP-II prototype tests (LU Poles).
Figure 17
Figure 17
Zones of surface condition based on LUS laboratory test results.
Figure 18
Figure 18
Zones of surface condition based on LU laboratory test results.
Figure 19
Figure 19
Preliminary decision algorithm for the concrete sensor.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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