Instrumentation of a Pavement Structure Containing Inductive Charging Equipment in the Canadian Context

Road transportation is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, and the use of electric vehicles (EVs) is an effective approach to reducing these emissions. With an inductive power transfer (IPT) system integrated into road structures, EVs can recharge their batteries while driving, allowing for longer distances without frequent stops for recharging. While the energy efficiency of induction charging has been demonstrated, few studies have examined the effects of adding inductive charging coils on the mechanical behavior and durability of pavement structures. Therefore, an experimental study will be conducted using a heavy vehicle simulator (HVS) on a laboratory test pit to analyze the behavior of two pavement structures containing induction charging loops under critical climatic circumstances for cold regions. Said structures were built in the accelerated testing facility at Laval University. The test pit was divided into three sections, two of them containing an inductive charging coil (Sections 1 and 2), placed between the base and surface course layers, and the third being a standard Quebec pavement structure without inductive equipment. The surface course thickness of Section 1 is 7 cm, while the other two sections have a surface course thickness of 5 cm. All sections have a consistent base course thickness of 12 cm and were built with the same asphalt mixtures. All three sections were instrumented with multiple sensors: strain gauges, load cells, and temperature and humidity probes. The sensors were placed at various positions and depths during pavement construction to monitor the behavior of each component of the structures, from the surface course to the soil. The focus of this paper is to present the details of the construction and instrumentation of the test pit, which will be crucial for future accelerated loading tests and form the foundation for the development of design guidelines for inductive road structures in Nordic climates.