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Preventing Potholes
| Content Provider | TeachEngineering: STEM curriculum for K-12 |
|---|---|
| Author | Alster, Adam Davis-King, Victoria Alvai, Amir Lajnef, Nizar Kim, Drew Varricchione, Andrea |
| Copyright Year | 2016 |
| Description | Acting as civil engineers hired by the U.S. Department of Transportation to research how to best use piezoelectric materials to detect road damage, student groups are challenged to independently create their own experiment procedures, working with given materials and tools. Students write up their research and conclusions as if presenting evidence to USDOT officials about how the voltage changes across the piezo elements can be used to indicate road damage and extrapolated to determine when roads need maintenance service. Acting as civil engineers hired by the U.S. Department of Transportation to research how to best use piezoelectric materials to detect road damage, student groups are challenged to independently create their own experiment procedures, working with given materials and tools. The general approach is that they set up model roads using rubber mats to simulate asphalt and piezoelectric transducers to simulate the in-ground road sensors. They drop heavy bolts at various locations on the “road,” collecting data and then analyzing the voltage changes across the piezoelectric transducers caused by the vibrations of the bolt hitting the rubber. After making notches in the rubber “road” to simulate cracks and potholes, they collect more data to see if the piezo elements detect the damage. Students write up their research and conclusions as if presenting evidence to USDOT officials about how the voltage changes across the piezo elements can be used to indicate road damage and extrapolated to determine when roads need maintenance service. |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Rights Holder | Regents of The University of Colorado Michigan State University |
| Subject Keyword | Measurement Physical Science Physics Problem Solving Science and Technology Road Maintenance Highway Maintenance Piezo Element Potholes Student-design Experiment Asphalt Piezoelectric Electricity From Vibrations Experiment Design Piezoelectric Material Mechanical Energy Highways Road Design Energy Conversion Highway Design Student-designed Procedure Electrical Energy Under The Road Devices Vibrations Real-world Problem |
| Content Type | Text |
| Time Required | PT1H |
| Education Level | Class IX Class X Class XI Class XII |
| Pedagogy | Experimental Activity |
| Resource Type | Hands-on |
| Subject | Physics Geometry Technical |
