A novel graphene-based geotextile for use in smart pavements

Monitoring pavement mechanical, hydro and thermal loading is crucial in pavement reliability modelling and maintenance operations. Monitoring mechanical loading is especially important for effective traffic management and to prevent fatigue damage by controlling increased distress caused by vehicle overloading. Nevertheless, most of the existing techniques have several limitations, in terms of providing only discrete partial information, being destructive to the pavement being monitored and incurring high installation and maintenance costs. Therefore, there is still a deficiency in a monitoring method that enable spatially continuous and complete information capabilities. In the current project, a novel graphene-coated conductive geotextile, with sensing capability, is evaluated for use in road infrastructure. Being used for leak detection in waste, containment and landfill applications, the current project will extend its use to applications involving mechanical, hydro and thermal loading with special focus on its potential as a spatially continuous sensor to detect response and damage in pavement layers. In this study, various tests were carried out to characterize the electrical response of the material in terms of mechanical loading. The results showed a notable electro-mechanical behavior in the geotextile and proved the versatility of the material for use in a vast range of pavement applications.