US 12,228,397 B2
Sensor-enabled system and method for monitoring the health, condition, and/or status of rail track infrastructure
Joseph Cavanaugh, Alpharetta, GA (US); Matthew Hammond, Alpharetta, GA (US); and John Wallace, Alpharetta, GA (US)
Assigned to Tensar International Corporation, Alpharetta, GA (US)
Appl. No. 17/796,800
Filed by Tensar International Corporation, Alpharetta, GA (US)
PCT Filed Feb. 1, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/016069
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 1, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/155362, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 5, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/030,485, filed on May 27, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/967,733, filed on Jan. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/967,736, filed on Jan. 30, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0056156 A1, Feb. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. G01B 7/16 (2006.01); B61L 23/04 (2006.01); B61L 27/53 (2022.01); E01F 9/30 (2016.01); G01L 1/20 (2006.01); G01L 1/22 (2006.01); G01N 3/18 (2006.01); G01N 3/60 (2006.01)
CPC G01B 7/18 (2013.01) [E01F 9/30 (2016.02); G01L 1/205 (2013.01); G01L 1/22 (2013.01); G01N 3/18 (2013.01); G01N 3/60 (2013.01); B61L 23/048 (2013.01); B61L 27/53 (2022.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for rail track infrastructure monitoring, comprising:
rail track infrastructure;
a sensor enabled geogrid, comprising:
a multiaxial geogrid;
two or more sensors, comprising at least a strain gauge and an accelerometer, operatively configured to the multiaxial geogrid;
a microcontroller housed in a protective sensor pod, wherein the microcontroller receives signals from the sensor enabled geogrid;
a communication network, wherein the communication network transmits the received signals from the microcontroller to a computer network; and
the computer network operatively configured to display information from the one or more sensors about the health, condition, and/or status of the rail track infrastructure based upon at least a base strain gauge measurement parameter, an accelerometer measurement parameter, and a max strain amount parameter, wherein the accelerometer measurement parameter is used to filter out erroneous strain.