Principal Investigator(s):
John Evans, Former Professor, UMD-Chemistry and Biochemistry
Project summary:
This project continues previous (Phase I) research developing low-cost sensing systems for monitoring ice and water on bridge deck surfaces by evaluating technologies that measure the impedance of an electrode pair or array, using test fixtures and cells developed during Phase I. Based on the results of Phase I research, time-domain reflectrometry has been selected as the most viable sensor technology for further investigation. Issues investigated in this phase include sensor calibration and chemometric- and neural-network-based software to automate the analysis of bridge conditions. Evaluation of second-generation sensors was carried out in this project both in the laboratory and on an outdoor test stand in which the sensors were incorporated into a concrete pad to simulate their real-world application in order to examine issues related to installation.