Vibration Analysis and Vehicle Detection by MEMS Acceleration Sensors Embedded in PCC Pavement

Monitoring the vibration response of Portland cement concrete (PCC) pavement under dynamic vehicle loading is critical for road maintenance and traffic analysis. This study embedded micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometer sensors in PCC pavement to capture vibration signals induced by vehicles. A thresholding method is proposed to automate vehicle detection by analyzing acceleration time-domain data, achieving precision and recall rates exceeding 85%. The study also explored various sensor placement locations and different threshold values for acceleration time-domain signals. Sensor placement optimization revealed that positioning sensors at the front or rear ends of pavement slabs maximizes vibration response, enabling low-cost and efficient detection. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed method balances simplicity and accuracy, eliminating the need for complex denoising processes. This approach provides a cost-effective solution for real-time vehicle detection and enhances pavement performance monitoring, supporting improved maintenance and traffic management strategies.