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Investigation, Testing and Development of an RFID System for Effective Maintenance of the Existing National Transportation Infrastructure

The focus of this project is the investigation, testing and further development of a radio frequency identification (RFID) system to efficiently maintain the existing transportation infrastructure; especially Roadways and Bridges. For Example, in the event of an active snowfall or blizzard, snow may pile up and ice over on the roadway and bridges causing hazardous conditions for cars and trucks. The current warning systems employed utilizes a LED display board that advises the drivers to take caution, but it does not provide data. It provides a generic warning sign that is displayed whereas the technology/project proposed is an active warning/alert system to the road maintenance team, so that the piled-up snow can be cleared up. Consequently, the amount or inches piled over the surface can be detected and put in as warning board so that drivers can take caution and drive accordingly. In addition, the clearing of snow from the roadways is also not focused on the areas or roads where it needs attention or where the snow piles up is localized. Therefore, if an RFID tag is implanted either In the Tarmac or inside the reflectors between lanes, with the RFID readers being mounted stationary in the shoulder of the roads, that can overcome this drawback and focus on the areas where the clear up is vital for the traffic and safety for the cars to travel. Furthermore, the Received Signal Strength (RSSI) will remain constant when there is no snowfall. In contrast, the RSSI value will vary depending on the variation the thickness of the snow. Thus, there will be a scheduling/alerting the cleanup/maintenance team about the snow deposit to avoid any kind of accident or damage. In other words, the maintenance team and the drivers will know in real time what the conditions of the roads to response are safely and accordantly.