RFID Takes the Strain Out of Testing Minnesota's Roadbeds

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) employs RFID to pinpoint the locations of sensors buried within roadways using TracerPlus.

December 11, 2013 – The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is employing radio frequency identification to pinpoint the locations of sensors buried within roadways. The sensors, which measure strain and pressure levels, are used to test the performance of a variety of roadway materials, mixes and application methods. To date, the agency has installed only four tags into its pavement test tracks as part of its MnROAD project, says Bob Strommen, a research systems integrator at MnDOT, but now that the tags have proven their performance, the agency intends to deploy them to locate new strain or pressure sensors as they are installed, and it may also opt to use the technology for other purposes as well.