Purdue University researchers, INDOT crews and WaveLogix embed sensors into the new I-465 ramp to I-69 South on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. Credit: Purdue University photo
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Purdue University engineers have teamed up with the company Wavelogix to develop pothole detection sensors.
They are being embedded in the concrete of the new interchanges of Interstates 69 and 465 in Indianapolis.
The sensors will give the Indiana Department of Transportation real-time data on the stability and strength of the concrete.
Purdue released the following:
A Purdue University invention will soon give engineers real-time data from Indianapolis’ newest interstate section, potentially preventing potholes, reducing construction traffic jams and saving taxpayer dollars spent on road repairs.
Purdue researchers, Indiana Department of Transportation crews and WaveLogix installed concrete sensors invented by Purdue professor Luna Lu into the future I-465 interchange to I-69 south on Indianapolis’ south side on Tuesday (July 25). The sensor allows concrete to “talk,” decreasing construction time and how often concrete pavement needs repairs, while also improving the road’s sustainability and cutting its carbon footprint.
The sensor was embedded directly into a concrete pour and sends engineers more precise, consistent data about the concrete’s strength and need for repair than is possible with currently used tools and methods. States across the country with concrete interstate pavement have signed up to participate in a Federal Highway Administration pooled fund study to try out the technology. Indiana joins Missouri, Tennessee and Texas in embedding the sensors.
More information about the sensors can be found here.
