Ultra-Fast Weigh In Motion WIM Installation for Bridges and Highways
In this guide, we show a real weigh in motion WIM installation on the Viaduct.
Modern highway owners, ITS engineers, and enforcement agencies need road-friendly technologies.
They look for systems that install in a single shift and deliver enforcement-grade precision.
In this guide, we show a real weigh in motion WIM installation on the Viaduct.
The video explains how a fiber optic weigh in motion sensor network becomes a fully working high-speed weigh in motion system in under eight hours.
Beyond the case study, you’ll discover how bridge weigh in motion monitoring powers a dynamic truck weighing system.
You’ll also understand why every axle load monitoring system needs smooth integration with weigh station bypass technology and a strong automatic overload enforcement system.
Project: Bridge Weigh In Motion (WIM) installation
The Molise Viaduct carries heavy freight along Italy’s A1 corridor. Because of this, it serves as the ideal test-bed for next-generation bridge weigh in motion monitoring.
For this project, engineers chose BISON’s fiber optic weigh in motion sensors for three main reasons:
First of all, minimal civil works. Each WIM installation required a cut of just 60 mm—fast, clean, and non-invasive.
Second, high-velocity data. The high speed weigh in motion system records axle loads at speeds up to 130 km/h, ideal for busy freight routes.
Finally, global enforcement readiness. The system connects seamlessly to an automatic overload enforcement system, fully compliant with both EU and U.S. legal frameworks.
Why Fiber Optic Sensors Revolutionise Weigh In Motion
One of the biggest advantages of the BISON weigh in motion system is its fast installation.
While traditional systems often need 2 to 10 days of road closure, deep excavation, underground cabling, and complex calibration, BISON removes all those barriers.
Here are the key installation features:
Maximum 8-hour traffic closure – from the first cut to full data activation.
No road resurfacing required – works on pavement roughness up to 4 mm/m IRI.
No buried electrical cables – routes all power and data through fiber optic lines.
No special permits or utility checks – surface-level installation avoids conflicts with underground infrastructure.
Because of this design, crews can deploy the system even on aging bridges or viaducts.
In these situations, full-depth civil works are often impossible—but BISON’s weigh in motion installation still works flawlessly.
Step-by-Step Weigh In Motion WIM Installation
Site Analysis, Layout & System Planning
In fact, a successful weigh in motion installation starts with a holistic survey of pavement condition, traffic flow, and structural constraints. At the outset, engineers carefully map out the bridge weigh in motion monitoring requirements, aligning sensor lanes so that the resulting axle load monitoring system captures every axle group at highway speed. To ensure precision, geotechnical data, lane geometry, and ITS cabling routes are consolidated into a BIM model, which already references the future high-speed weigh in motion system and its planned integration with weigh-station bypass technology.
As a result, this blueprint guarantees full life-cycle compatibility with the downstream automatic overload enforcement system, and at the same time, it simplifies the forthcoming WIM sensor calibration procedure required to meet the highest weigh in motion accuracy class standards.
Surface Cutting & Weighing Sensor Integration
First, specialised saws cut shallow, parallel slots—only 40 to 100 mm deep. These are prepared to house each fiber optic weigh in motion sensor.
Then, crews insert stainless-steel plates and align them flush with the pavement. This ensures the dynamic truck weighing system reads accurately under traffic stress.
Meanwhile, the optical fibres and stainless housings protect the sensors. They resist moisture, salt, and bridge-deck vibrations.
As a result, they provide a rugged backbone for the high-speed weigh in motion system.
Most importantly, installation remains surface-level. No deep trenching is required.
This means deck integrity is preserved—critical for long-term bridge weigh in motion monitoring.
At the same time, the entire weigh in motion installation is completed within a single shift.
Fast-Cure Grouting & Roadway Restoration
Next, technicians pour a high-strength, fiber-reinforced mortar to secure each fiber optic weigh in motion sensor in place.
The rapid-set mix cures in just a few hours. This allows traffic to resume the same day.
That speed plays a critical role in any bridge weigh in motion monitoring project where long closures aren’t acceptable.
After curing, the road surface stays level and works seamlessly with the dynamic truck weighing system.
Future resurfacing leaves the embedded technology untouched.
By maintaining a uniform pavement profile, engineers keep the calibrated geometry stable.
This ensures that the axle load monitoring system performs accurately and meets the weigh in motion accuracy class requirements.
Data Hook-Up, Calibration & System Activation
Then, fiber optic cables link each lane directly to the roadside cabinet. This cabinet powers the sensors and streams real-time data to the axle load monitoring system.
Next, technicians launch the official WIM sensor calibration procedure. Certified test trucks perform several passes to measure gross and axle weights across the high-speed weigh in motion system.
The team encrypts and stores all calibration files to ensure full compliance with global weigh in motion accuracy class standards.
Once they confirm accuracy, the technicians activate the live system.
From that point, the dynamic truck weighing system starts updating dashboards with real-time data.
Operators use this information to apply weigh-station bypass technology instantly and run analytics for asset planning and overload enforcement.
TS Integration, Enforcement & Operator Training
Once data starts flowing, engineers install ANPR cameras and roadside radar. These devices complete a turnkey automatic overload enforcement system.
In milliseconds, the system detects overweight vehicles. It links each plate number to a weight ticket and applies sanctions automatically—without stopping traffic.
This real-time response defines modern weigh-station bypass technology.
At the same time, operators get hands-on training. They learn how to use dashboard analytics, perform remote diagnostics, and repeat the WIM sensor calibration procedure when needed.
With everything active, the weigh in motion installation supports continuous bridge weigh in motion monitoring.
It also powers a predictive dynamic truck weighing system that keeps freight corridors safer, more efficient, and legally compliant.
Weigh in Motion for High Speed
Solving Road Authority Challenges with Fiber Optic Weigh In Motion Systems
- Minimized lane closures: Traffic is interrupted for less than one working shift, reducing public complaints and logistics issues.
- Lower infrastructure stress: No trenching or sub-pavement drilling avoids damaging existing roads or bridges.
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Real-time traffic data: Supports intelligent traffic monitoring and helps manage overloads in real time.
- Cost-efficiency: Reduced installation and maintenance costs make it ideal for large-scale deployment.
- All-weather functionality: Works seamlessly in heat, snow, rain, and coastal humidity.
- Simplified road management: Compatible with road maintenance schedules and does not require removal during resurfacing.
- Scalable and integrable: Easily connects with existing traffic control, tolling, and weigh enforcement systems.
Results & ROI after WIM Installation
8-hour weigh in motion installation window (record time for a European highway).
98.9 % capture rate confirmed by the latest weigh in motion accuracy class audit.
27 % fewer lane closures due to automated inspection, leveraging automatic overload enforcement system alerts.
42 % cut in weigh-station queues thanks to weigh station bypass technology.
Improved structural predictions through continuous bridge weigh in motion monitoring data.
Conclusion: The Future of Smart Road Monitoring with Weigh In Motion Systems
BISON weigh in motion system represents the future of dynamic road monitoring, combining cutting-edge fiber optic technology with real-world installation speed and operational reliability.
As shown in the VIDEO of Installation project:.
The full WIM installation was completed in less than 8 hours
No subsurface electrical wiring or road resurfacing was needed
BISON offers global technical support, minimal civil works, and full ITS compatibility.
It includes automatic license plate recognition and real-time bridge load monitoring.
With these features, BISON solves the main challenges that road authorities face worldwide.
The system delivers a fast, scalable, and highly accurate solution.
Governments, smart city planners, and private infrastructure owners use it to digitize and optimize their transport networks.
Reliable, easy to install, low-maintenance, and fully integrable—BISON sets the new benchmark for modern weigh in motion systems.
