Why instrument a test section
Laboratory tests and design models are a starting point. How a pavement actually performs depends on the local climate, the local trucks and how the layers were built. A test section with two or more designs side by side, loaded by the same traffic, is the most direct way to compare them.
What to measure
- Horizontal strain at the bottom of the asphalt layer and in concrete slabs, per axle.
- Temperature through each layer, because asphalt stiffness changes strongly with temperature.
- Vertical pressure on the base or subgrade.
- Optionally moisture in the base and subgrade.
How MT-16 is set up
Sixteen ports cover two lanes with identical sensors on one logger. All channels are sampled on one clock, so when a truck crosses both sections its response can be compared axle by axle. Slow data such as temperature is logged between events, and everything is uploaded daily.
What you get
- A direct, like-for-like comparison of designs under the same loads and weather.
- Long-term trends: how the response changes with seasons and with age.
- Data you can share with designers, owners and researchers.