Roadway infrastructure for autonomous vehicles

Abstract

An elevated roadway for autonomous vehicles may include a pylon extending vertically from a ground anchor and comprising a metal tube defining a central cavity and a concrete column within the central cavity. The elevated roadway further includes a bracket coupled to the pylon and comprising a mounting plate secured to the pylon and a cantilevered road support member extending from the mounting plate. The elevated roadway may further include a cantilevered road section coupled to the pylon via the cantilevered road support member and comprising a joist structure structurally coupled to the cantilevered road support member, a road member above the joist structure and supported by the joist structure, and first and second side barriers along first and second sides of the road member, respectively. The road member may be adapted to receive a four-wheeled roadway vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A road section for an elevated roadway for autonomous vehicles, comprising:
 a joist structure comprising a plurality of parallel joists;   a metal form coupled to the joist structure; and   a monolithic road structure comprising:
 a road member; and 
 a plurality of road supports formed in the metal form and configured to transfer load from the road member to the joist structure. 
   
     
     
         2 . The road section of  claim 1 , wherein the joist structure comprises four joists arranged in parallel. 
     
     
         3 . The road section of  claim 2 , wherein the joist structure further comprises a plurality of inter-joist support members. 
     
     
         4 . The road section of  claim 1 , further comprising a water conduit extending substantially parallel to the plurality of parallel joists and configured to carry water from the road member to a water outlet. 
     
     
         5 . The road section of  claim 1 , wherein the joist structure has a length of fifty feet or less. 
     
     
         6 . The road section of  claim 5 , wherein the joist structure has a length of 33 feet or less. 
     
     
         7 . The road section of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the joist structure is configured to be coupled to one or more additional joist structures to define a joist span; and   the joist span is configured to be supported by a first pylon at a first end of the joist span and a second pylon at a second end of the joist span.   
     
     
         8 . The road section of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the joist structure defines a horizontal top plane; and   the plurality of road supports have different heights to support the road member in a non-parallel orientation relative to the horizontal top plane.