Accurate traffic data are essential for pavement design and management, regulating weight enforcement strategies, modeling alternative traffic improvement; reduce congestion, and predicting load-related distresses and performances. Also, one of the major causes of early deterioration in roads and bridges results from overweight trucks and/or high tire pressure. The weigh stations used to control over-weight trucks are inaccurate, unreliable, and have short life cycles. The other alternative, 545 weigh-in-motion (WIM) stations in the United States , has also limitations: lack of durability, limited accuracy, and inability to operate properly at highway speeds.

The main objective of this project was to evaluate the accuracy, durability, and maintainability of the uniquely designed OWC WIM at the Virginia Smart Road . To achieve this objective, the research plan considers a number of testing scenarios, including different vehicle speed, acceleration levels, tire pressures, axle loads and configuration, and environmental conditions. In addition, the effect of paving material on the scales' response accuracy was investigated. The research effort evaluated the delay associated with current WIM technologies through field and simulation efforts. Specifically, geometric configurations, traffic demands, and WIM accuracy levels was evaluated by simulation. Finally, an economic analysis based on the benefits and costs associated with OWC WIM technology was conducted.