Roxana Banabic presents Smart Rock research developed within the INTENT Project at the 19.º Congresso Nacional de Geotecnia

Roxana Banabic delivered the presentation entitled  “Heavy Traffic Detection and Characterization Using the Smart Rock Technology” at the 19.º Congresso Nacional de Geotecnia, Portugal’s National Congress of Geotechnics, held in Vila Real from 11 to 14 May 2026. 

The contribution showcased research developed within the INTENT Project, exploring the use of Smart Rock inertial sensors embedded in granular pavement layers for the continuous monitoring of heavy-vehicle traffic. By analysing acceleration and angular velocity measurements recorded during truck passages, the work addressed vehicle-event detection, axle-count classification, speed estimation, and axle-load estimation.

By combining embedded inertial sensing with machine-learning techniques, the study points to a less intrusive approach for traffic detection and characterization in industrial roads and granular pavements, with potential relevance for pavement performance assessment. The full conference paper is available through the official 19CNG website.