Wegenwijs

An idea of a project leader still sounded like a utopia in the summer of 2019, but six months later this innovation became a reality. The name: Wegenwijs. After a pilot in North Holland, the first customer followed: A-Lanes A15 deployed Wegenwijs to monitor its acreage.

How long will a road surface last? When should maintenance or renewal take place? Roadside inspections are necessary to answer these questions. During such an inspection, the inspector looks at the degree of fraying, among other things. This is done largely with imagery and often a road closure is unavoidable.

Coen Smits, project manager at Unihorn / Strukton Civiel: ''When performing inspections from imagery, fraying is sometimes difficult to assess. We experienced this in 2019 during an inspection of a two-layer ZOAB. On image, there seemed to be no fraying, but when I drove my car over it, I definitely heard a different tire noise than on the adjacent lanes. This was the main indicator to me that something was indeed going on."

Smits worked out an idea to measure fraying with sensors and deploy algorithms to translate the data into information. With a proof of concept, he demonstrated that the different fraying categories can be derived from sound recordings. In the summer of 2019, he got the chance to pitch his idea within Strukton Civiel. And with success, because with the project team he received budget to set up and train the algorithm. "After that, everything gained momentum and the innovation Wegenwijs was born," Smits says.

How does it work? 

Wegenwijs uses vibration sensors in vehicles and smartphones to measure road quality continuously and on all roads. The measurement data is uploaded into the cloud, processed and presented on an online platform. Road managers can consult this platform or use the information on it to prepare and update their maintenance planning and budget.

The benefits
- road quality is continuously monitored, changes in quality - by comparing data over time - are immediately visible
- Strukton Civiel with its sisters and subsidiaries has thousands of vehicles driving throughout the Netherlands, they form the basis for quality registration
- road operators and private individuals can participate directly in quality registration with their vehicles via the Wegenwijs app

State of affairs 

Fray is usually the dimensional and least predictable damage. Therefore, the technique is now being developed first for fraying detection. A proof of concept has established that the principle works. In 2020, the system will be able to determine the nature and extent of fraying. Subsequently, the technique will be used to determine other damages. Additional methods for damage assessment and other relevant aspects will be included in Wegenwijs in the near future. The result Wegenwijs continuously records road quality. Road managers receive all the information in time for optimal management of their roads. Everyone can participate in data collection. Expensive inspections and measurements are no longer necessary.

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