Improving Visibility of Road Sensors With RFID

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is employing passive EPC Gen 2 UHF RFID tags to help it better identify the exact locations of the buried sensors it uses to test various road-construction materials and processes. The sensors, which measure strain and pressure levels, are used to test the performance of a variety of roadway materials, mixes and pavement design methods, as part of the agency’s MnROAD project. In the past, to determine the sensors’ exact locations, MnROAD would use a survey crew, as well as measurements from control points along the roadway. The team learned that neither of these methods is foolproof in determining a sensor’s exact location on the pavement’s surface, for a number of reasons. Learn how MnROAD is using RFID tags to accurately locate its roadway sensors, enabling it to better understand the relationship between sensor location and its response to traffic loading.