ABSTRACT
In this paper, a new type of distributed optical fiber based sensor with flexible encapsulation developed by our research group has been embedded in a real highway structure with the total measuring range of nearly 300 meters to monitor the subgrade performance. The embedded sensors work well after the normal construction of upper pavement layers. The sensor data have been collected twice with the interval longer than a month in winter. Analysis results show that the proposed sensor can successfully monitor temperature induced shrinkage, cracking and frost heaving of the subgrade. The research works presented in this paper have proved the potential of the proposed sensor for further large scale application in different layers to study the complex effects of the environmental factors on pavement structure.
