Accelerated Full Scale test on prefabricated concrete slab pavement for electrical supply by induction of urban transport systems

Innovative solutions for transport infrastructure are needed to meet future mobility needs, especially in urban areas. Recently, Bombardier Transportation has developed a new system for supply by induction of electrical public transportation vehicles. It consists in integrating electrical supply cables in a prefabricated concrete slab implemented in the road. These cables create an electromagnetic induction field, used for charging of electrical vehicles,. A key aspect of the project is the design and durability of the prefabricated slab pavement under heavy traffic. For this purpose, it was decided to carry out a full scale test on the accelerated pavement testing facility of IFSTTAR in Nantes. Five different prototype slabs are tested, differing by the width of the slab, and the thickness of the concrete cover above the supply cables. The experiment consists in applying one million passes with a dual wheel load of 65 kN and monitoring the mechanical behaviour of the slab pavement by measuring displacements and strains at chosen points. The paper presents the design of the prefabricated concrete slab pavement, the results after the first half of the current full scale test (after 500 000 loads), and the perspectives, in terms of deployment of this technology for urban transport infrastructure.