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Use of Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing (DFOS) to Assess Bonding and Failure Mechanisms of Asphalt Pavements

Phase I of this project was focused on understanding and developing tools for utilizing Distributed Fiber Optics Sensing (DFOS), also known as Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS), to establish best practices for implementing this technology to gain insight into the pavement condition. In Phase II, this project advances to implement DFOS to assess the failure mechanisms of pavements. Under ASPIRE research activities, research is being conducted to address the inclusion of Inductive Power Transfer (IPT) technology components embedded in pavements. A critical concern with embedding transmitter pads near the surface is the potential development of high tensile stresses under traffic conditions. These stresses can lead to cracking or delamination due to poor bonding with the encasing materials, i.e., asphalt or PCC. Moreover, tensile stresses are expected to occur in locations difficult to instrument with vibrating wire strain gauges, such as edges and corners of embedded IPT components. While strain gauges can only be placed at discrete points and usually a few inches away from critical locations, fiber optic sensors can acquire data continuously along various paths, closer to these critical locations. As observed in Phase I, this technology provides enhanced spatial measurements with a resolution as fine as 2.6 mm in near-real time. These capabilities are suitable for the assessment of bonding conditions and failure mechanisms. This technology can benefit Region 6 DOTs as a tool that can be potentially utilized in the laboratory or in the field to collect pavement response to predict pavement performance for assessing highway infrastructure life and even to develop or adjust distress models when new technologies are implemented within pavements. To address the objective of this study, the scope of work consists of the following: Task 1: Utilizing DFOS to instrument asphalt specimens with embedded IPT components and subjecting them to flexural tests. This approach aims to assess bonding and flexural behavior while identifying failure mechanisms. Task 2: Numerical modeling will be conducted to simulate the behavior of the instrumented specimens, focusing on identifying critical points for crack development or delamination under various bonding conditions. Task 3: The numerical model responses will be compared against experimental results with the purpose of fine-tuning the model. Limitations of the DFOS technology will be examined, and recommendations for its application in assessing pavement performance will be developed. The findings, along with guidelines for instrumenting pavement locations prone to cracking, will be documented into a draft report.

Language

  • English

Project

  • Status: Active
  • Funding: $127,450.00
  • Contract Numbers:

    CY2-UTEP-05

    69A3552348306

  • Sponsor Organizations:

    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

    University Transportation Centers Program
    Department of Transportation
    Washington, DC  United States  20590
  • Managing Organizations:

    Southern Plains Transportation Center

    University of Oklahoma
    202 W Boyd St, Room 213A
    Norman, OK  United States  73019
  • Project Managers:

    Dunn, Denise

  • Performing Organizations:

    University of Texas, El Paso

    El Paso, TX  United States  79968
  • Principal Investigators:

    Nazarian, Soheil

    Tirado, Cesar

  • Start Date: 20241001
  • Expected Completion Date: 20250930
  • Actual Completion Date: 0
  • USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01941692
  • Record Type: Research project
  • Source Agency: Southern Plains Transportation Center
  • Contract Numbers: CY2-UTEP-05, 69A3552348306
  • Files: UTC, RIP
  • Created Date: Jan 1 2025 5:18PM