A method for weighing vehicles moving on a bridge deck pavement is
provided. At least one vibration sensor is mounted on a lower side of the
pavement to sense low frequency pavement vibrations generated by moving
vehicle wheels and propagated in waves in the pavement. Vibration sensor
output signals are provided to a computing device. Sensed vibration
energy rate is computed and, with signals from vibration sensors mounted
at two locations separated by a known longitudinal distance, vehicle
speed is also computed. The weight of the vehicle is determined as the
product of a calibration coefficient and the ratio of sensed vibration
energy rate to velocity. Using vibration sensor signals indicative of
wheel generated vibrations in the very near field and summing vibration
energy rates computed from these signals during vehicle passage over the
vibration sensors the weight of individual vehicles is computed when
other moving vehicles are present.