Radio frequency identification applications in pavement engineering

Abstract

Three applications of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in pavement engineering are examined. The first follows previous work on tracking hot-mix asphalt (HMA) concrete using passive RFID tags. Some tags were observed on the surface of the compacted mat, raising questions about the local permeability and density of the pavement. In situ permeability and nuclear density tests confirmed that the surfaced tags are not detrimental to the pavement. The second application extended the HMA tracking scheme to Portland cement concrete (PCC). Extensive field and laboratory evaluations determined that the passive encapsulated RFID tags used successfully for HMA tracking cannot be read through concrete at depths sufficient for PCC tracking. Finally, the feasibility of RFID technology as a platform for a wireless reflection crack detection sensor was explored. Laboratory tests demonstrated that the sensor can detect a reflection crack well before it has propagated completely through an HMA overlay.