Self-Healing Roads
Posted on May 27th, 2021 by Mary Lord
Paved roads are a godsend for travelers and truckers alike, but potholes can ruin the ride. Engineers hope to quell the scourge by devising such novel solutions as self-healing asphalt and sensor-embedded “smart” roads that can detect small cracks before they require major repairs.
Filed under: Special Features | Comments Off on Self-Healing Roads
Tags: asphalt, highway construction, materials science, pavement, potholes, self-healing roads, sensors, sustainable materials, transportation engineering
Acting as civil engineers, students in grades 9-12 research how to best use piezoelectric materials to detect road damage, setting up model roads, creating their own experiment procedures, and analyzing voltage changes caused by the vibrations of simulated vehicles. They then write up their research and conclusions as if presenting evidence to federal transportation officials about how piezo elements can be used to indicate road damage and help determine when roads need maintenance.
