New Lab Will Simulate Road Wear
The University of Applied Sciences civil engineering department is unveiling a mysterious box that it says will revolutionize road construction in Estonia.
Inside the new piece of equipment called the TKSS-2011 is a cross-section of road that makes it possible to simulate conditions that make it possible to see how materials behave and interact on roads.
It took about 18 months from first brain flash to prototype, said the university, which plans to open the lab on March 24.
With road conditions often subject to debate in the press, there is a lack of consensus of how and whether certain materials such as mine waste can be used in road building. To this point, the properties of each could only be studied in isolated fashion, not in combination with other factors and environmental conditions.
The TKSS-2011 is a metal box measuring about 3.3 by 3.3 by 2.3 meters, equipped with a humidification system. Coming soon is a freezing module to simulate winter conditions.
A hydraulic cylinder simulates the force of a passing truck, and sensors at various depths in the road provide feedback.
Kristopher Rikken