Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) systems effectively record vehicle weight and axle layouts, supplying vital information for evaluating the performance of transportation infrastructure. A low-cost, long-life WIM system named Roadway Infrastructure and Vehicle Information System (RIVIS) was developed using roadside surface-mounted accelerometers to measure the pavement response for traffic and monitor the pavement. Two test efforts including laboratory and field deployment were undertaken to evaluate the performance of RIVIS. The laboratory test spanned 40 days from September to October 2021 and the field deployment was conducted using seven vehicles including passenger cars and pickup trucks on a 0.6 km long and 7.5 m wide research road at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.

RIVIS was designed to assess pavement response and monitor freight traffic at a lower cost than traditional WIM systems. The total capital and installation cost of RIVIS was estimated to be $7,974. Its installation required only a shoulder closure instead of a full lane closure, reducing both lane closure costs and negative traffic flow impacts. Without any modifications to pavement or infrastructure, a single person could complete the installation in about an hour. The cost breakdown is shown in Table 1. The installation cost is estimated based on 2-hour of labor and a mobile shoulder closure.

Table 1. Estimated cost breakdown for RIVIS V1.0