Pavement Rehabilitation & Management

Lecture 6
Pavement Condition Survey & Evaluation
Text: Chap. 3-6: PM for Airport, Rds & Parking Lots (Shahin, M.Y., 2nd Edition)

Engr. Shabir Ahmad

CONTENTS OF THIS LECTURE
 What is Pavement Performance?

 The Motivation for Pavement Performance

Evaluation

 Pavement Condition Surveys

 Distress
 Structural
 Roughness
 Skid Resistance

2
WHAT IS PAVEMENT PERFORMANCE?
 Pavement’s efficacy to serve traffic over a
given period of time

 Difficulty exists in measuring the complexity of

the road surface and its characteristics
 Distresses/defects may be functional or
structural
 Typically measured using aggregate or
disaggregate indicators
 Aggregate: combines two or more distresses/defects
 Disaggregate: single distress or defect
3
 Solution to difficulty of evaluating pavement
performance: Use Performance Indicators
 Must adequately reflect the condition of the road
surface as needed for purposes of decision-
making

4
NEED FOR PAVEMENT CONDITION MONITORING
AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

 Evaluate the current condition of the

network
 Determine the rates of deterioration
 Project future conditions
 Determine maintenance and rehabilitation
needs
 Determine the costs of repair (note: costs
often depend on condition at time of repair)
5
NEED FOR PAVEMENT CONDITION
MONITORING AND PERFORMANCE
EVALUATION (CONTINUED)

 Schedule future pavement maintenance

activities
 Determine the effects of budget
reductions and deferred maintenance
 Track performance of various pavement
designs and materials

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PAVEMENT CONDITION SURVEYS
 Form a basis for evaluating pavement
performance
 Evaluation of the condition is a
fundamental aspect of PMS
 Assessing the pavement condition begins with collecting data.
 Collection and analysis of pavement condition data forms the
foundation of an effective pavement management system 7
 Typically, a system of objective measurements is used to
quantify a pavement's condition and performance.

 Data is then interpreted to define the current state of

readiness, or “health” of the pavement.

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TYPES OF PAVEMENT CONDITION SURVEYS

 Generally, four types of surveys

 Distress Surveys

 Structural Capacity

 Roughness (ride quality)

 Skid Resistance (surface friction)

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SURVEYS OF PAVEMENT
SURFACE DISTRESS

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 DISTRESS SURVEYS
 DISTRESS: Surface distress is damage
observed on the pavement surface.
 Distress surveys are performed to determine
the type, severity, and quantity of surface
distress.
 Common Distress Indicators:
 Pavement condition index (PCI) – US Corps of
Engineers, Military airports
 Pavement condition rating (PCR) – FHWA, DOTs
 Present /Pavement Serviceability Rating/Index
11
(PSR)/(PSI)
 Manual vs. automated data collection
 Manual: Visual, Windshield Survey
 Automated: Image detection, Pattern recognition,
Signal processing, Artificial Intelligence
 Pavement surface is viewed and evaluation
made to determine …
 Type of distress (What?)
 Severity of distress (How serious?)
 Extent of distress (How much/many?)
 Distress Type, Severity, and Extent help to …
 get full picture of damage on pavement surface
 determine appropriate category/type/timing of
remedial action for the pavement
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EXAMPLE DISTRESSES – FLEXIBLE PAVEMENT
EXAMPLE DISTRESSES – RIGID PAVEMENTS
 HOW “BAD” IS AN EXISTING DISTRESS?
(ON BASIS OF EXTENT AND SEVERITY)

DEFICIENCY LOW MODERATE HIGH EXTREME

Fatigue Cracking 1% to 9% of 10% to 24% of 25% to 49% of > 49 % of

wheel path wheel path wheel path wheel path

Patching and 1% to 9% of 10% to 24% of 25% to 49% of > 49 % of

Patch section section section section
Deterioration

D Cracking 1% to 9% of 10% to 24% of 25% to 49% of > 49 % of

slabs slabs slabs slabs

Joint Spalling 1% to 9% of 10% to 24% of 25% to 49% of > 49 % of

joints joints joints joints

Corner Cracking 1% to 9% of 10% to 24% of 25% to 49% of > 49 % of

slabs slabs slabs slabs 15

Rutting < 1/8 inch 1/8 - 1/4 inch 1/4 -1/2 inch >1/2 inch
FATIGUE CRACKING
Low Severity

High Severity

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FATIGUE CRACKING
 Severity Levels
RUTTING

18
MEASURING RUT DEPTHS

R0=D2 – (D +D )/2
1 3
R =D – (D +D )/2
i 4 3 5
where
R0 = rut depth outside wheel path estimate (mm);
Ri = rut depth inside wheel path estimate (mm);
R0 = is not less than 0;
Ri = is not less than 0; and 19
FAULTING OF TRANSVERSE JOINTS
AND CRACKS

21
PAVEMENT CONDITION RATING (PCR)
 Is a method that used by human inspectors to rate
pavement condition using visual examination
 Provides a procedure for identifying and
describing, in terms of severity and extent,
pavement distress
 Mathematical expression provides an index reflecting
the composite effects of varying distress types, severity,
and extent on overall pavement condition
n

PCR 100 Deduct

i1 i
Where:
i = distress type, , i = 1, 2, … n

n = number of observable distresses under consideration 22

Deducti = WeightDISTRESS TYPE * Severity * Extent

SURVEYS FOR PAVEMENT
STRUCTURAL CAPACITY

23
SURVEYS FOR PAVEMENT STRUCTURAL
CAPACITY

 Reflects the load carrying capacity of

pavement

 Normally conducted at the project-level to

assess whether work is needed to increase
pavement strength to accommodate projected
traffic loads

 Non-destructive deflection testing of the

pavement is a simple and reliable method
24
FWD: OPERATION AND DATA ANALYSIS

25
FWD: OPERATION AND DATA ANALYSIS

26
 DESTRUCTIVE VS. NONDESTRUCTIVE EVALUATIONS OF
PAVEMENT STRENGTH

 Difference relates to whether or not physical

disturbance of the materials occurs
 Obviously, advantages exist for NDT (Non-
destructive Testing) over destructive testing
 Provides in-situ properties of the pavement conditions
(and not laboratory-tested properties)
 Does not damage the pavement structure
 Minimizes laboratory tests
 Often economical in terms of time and resources
27
PAVEMENT STRUCTURAL SURVEYS -
DESTRUCTIVE TESTING
 “Destructive” means test involves some damage to the
pavement structure
 Involves coring and/or removing materials from pavement layers
(surface, base, subbase, subgrade) as samples for field/laboratory
testing
 Damage is duly repaired after the sampling process

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PAVEMENT STRUCTURAL SURVEYS -
NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING

29
 PAVEMENT STRUCTURAL SURVEYS -
NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING
 Performed using devices that measure strain
 Broad categories:
 Static devices – these measure the
pavement’s response to a static load or a
single application of a slow moving load.
 Vibratory devices – these measure the
pavement’s response to a vibratory or
cyclical load
 Impulse devices – these apply a load to the
pavement by dropping a known mass through a
known distance and measuring the pavement
response 30
PAVEMENT STRUCTURAL SURVEYS -
NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING
 Static Devices
• Plate Bearing Tests
• Benkelman Beam
• Automated Deflection Beams
 Vibratory Devices
• Dynaflect
• Road Rater
 Impulse Devices
• Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD)
• Rolling Wheel Deflectometer (RWD)
• Heavy Weight Deflectometer (HWD) 31
 Plate Bearing Tests
Used to determine the bearing capacity and the load-deflection
relationship of the ground/or of materials used for roads, airport
runways, pavements
Relatively simple to operate and cost effective

Easy to transport and use

32

Static Devices - Examples

PLATE BEARING TESTS

Direct measurement of
static, elastic k-value:
• new alignment:
on subgrade soil
• existing alignment:
remove surface and
base
• rarely used today
33
PLATE LOAD TEST FOR K-VALUE
AASHTO T222
Three steel plates

k = p/
Where: p = applied pressure of 30” plate 34

= measured deflection of 30” plate

 Benkelman Beam
The Benkelman Beam measures the deflection of a flexible pavement under
moving wheel loads

• Simple NDT device to measure surface deflections

• Static loading; A rear axle with two tires on each side

• The tip of the beam is placed in front and between the tires

Static Devices - Examples

35
 Dynaflect
An electro-magnetic system for measuring the dynamic deflection of a
surface or structure caused by an oscillatory load

• An oscillatory load at a rate of 8 cyc/sec

• 2000 lbs static and +/- 1000 lbs steady-state dynamic force

• Geophones measure deflections which construct deflection basin

36

Vibratory Devices - Examples

 Road Rater

Road Rater applies a sinusoidal force to the pavement at a fixed

frequency; surface wave velocities are measured and electronically
integrated to obtain surface deflections

• Sinusoidal force generated by a hydraulic acceleration of a steel mass

• Peak to peak loading ranges from 500 - 8,000 lbs

• Geophones measure deflections which construct deflection basin

37

Vibratory Devices - Examples

Rolling wheel deflectometers

Impulse Devices
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 FALLING WEIGHT DEFLECTOMETER (FWD)
FWD measures surface deflections by an impact loading (7-150kN) to
simulate a vehicular moving load.

•The system applies controlled loading and measures deflections

• Several geophones measure velocity of motion, which is converted into

deflection built into deflection basins
39

Impulse Devices - Examples

FALLING WEIGHT DEFLECTOMETER (FWD)

 One of the most commonly-used equipment for

measuring pavement strength
 Mounted in light duty truck, van, or trailer
 Equipped with a standard weight and several
velocity transducer sensors
 At test site, …
• vehicle is stopped
• loading plate (weight) positioned over desired location
• sensors are lowered to pavement surface
• standard weight is dropped by impulse (typically 3
different heights are applied)
• pavement vertical deflections are recorded
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FALLING WEIGHT DEFLECTOMETER (FWD)

 30 to 150m intervals
 Both directions – staggered
 Typically outer lane only

41
 HEAVY WEIGHT DEFLECTOMETER (HWD)

To simulate heavy loading (30-240kN) from aircrafts such as Boeing 747

• Used at airfields and very thick highway pavements

42

Impulse Devices - Examples

 ROLLING WHEEL DEFLECTOMETERS
Moving & transient Dual tires
Measures single deflection and registers peaks, continuously
Used for Network level

43

Impulse Devices – Examples

Distribution of Wheel Load
Wheel
Load

Hot-mix asphalt
Base

Subbase

44

Natural soil
Pavement Responses Under Load

Axle
Load

Surface  SUR  SUR

Base/Subbase  SUB
Subgrade Soil 45
SURVEYS OF PAVEMENT
SURFACE ROUGHNESS

46
 ROUGHNESS (RIDE QUALITY)
 Is a measure of pavement surface distortion along a linear plane

 Also expresses the combined effect of the extent and severity of

several distresses and irregularities in the pavement surface

 This combined effect causes vertical acceleration of vehicles, and in

turn, user discomfort. Thus roughness adversely affects a vehicle's
ride quality

 Estimates the ability of a pavement to provide a comfortable ride to

road users

47
 Why Roughness is an important
pavement characteristic?
 It directly affects ride quality

 Influences vehicle operating costs

 Serves as a basis for pavement investment decision-making

at several agencies

 Is a primary criteria by which the road users/general public

judges the quality of a pavement

 Data availability - Most agencies collect data on

roughness
48
 Roughness is often reported as
• Roughness Number (RN)

• International Roughness Index (IRI).

 Can be converted into other

indicators
• Present Serviceability Index (PSI)

 For most operational highways, there could be a poor

relationship with PCR, RUT, Deflection
49

49
INTERNATIONAL ROUGHNESS INDEX (IRI)
 Average rectified slope (ARS) = filtered ratio of a standard
vehicle's accumulated suspension motion (in mm, inches,
etc.) divided by the distance traveled by the vehicle (inches
per mile or meters per km)

 Research has established relationship between IRI

and VOC ($ per vehicle per mile)
120 Additional costs due to roughness
Total operating costs
Base cost for a smooth road
100
to s
Vehicle Operating Cost

C ) 80
g l e 80
(cents/veh-mile)

i
nm
i 60
t-
ah
r 40
ee
pv 60
/
20
Os
t
0
50
en
le 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
cc
i Roughness in IRI (in/mi)
h(
 INTERNATIONAL ROUGHNESS INDEX (IRI)
 Current practice is to measure roughness in terms of
the longitudinal profile of the road surface

 IRI is a standardized index of longitudinal

unevenness, and can be described as a total
appraisal of the unevenness that affects drivers

51
MANUAL PROFILOGRAPHS m

the maximum of absolute height in the j th

scallop
(inch/mile)

j1
thesegment length

52

Longitudinal Transverse
 AUTOMATED PAVEMENT DATA
COLLECTION TECHNIQUES FOR SURFACE ROUGHNESS
 Network-level roughness monitoring is conducted with instrumented
vehicles using accelerometers and at least one of three types of
sensors:
 Lasers (e.g. laser receivers detect the absence and presence of single or
dual laser beams to determine the “vertical acceleration" of vehicles
 Acoustic (audio sensors)
 Infrared (electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that
of visible light)
 Accelerometers provide a horizontal plane of reference; whereas the
sensors measure pavement deviations from a horizontal plane

53
 AUTOMATED PAVEMENT DATA
COLLECTION TECHNIQUES FOR SURFACE ROUGHNESS

 The vehicles (profilers), a continuous

signal or trace is produced in one pass and
related to the true profile of the pavement
surface
 Profile data is then used to estimate IRI and
other indices

54
55
 TYPICAL IRI RANGES BY PAVEMENT TYPE

56

1 in/mi = 0.0157828283 m/km

1 m/km = 63.36 in/mi
SURVEYS OF PAVEMENT SKID
RESISTANCE

57
 SKID RESISTANCE (SURFACE FRICTION)
 Indicates ability of pavement surface to provide sufficient friction to
prevent vehicle skidding and concomitant safety problems

 is a critical performance indicator at high speed pavement sections

 Measurements of pavement surface friction can be used to help

eliminate potential problem spots before accidents occur

 expressed as a skid number, usually made with

locked wheel skid trailers

58
MEASUREMENT OF SURFACE FRICTION

Portable Equipment

Results are Reported

as British Pendulum
Numbers (BPN)

British Road Research Lab. Pendulum Friction Tester

Mobile equipment - Locked Wheel Skid Tester

 CALCULATION OF SKID NUMBER (SN)
 Is calculated as:

SN = 100 * f = 100 * F/ L
and µ = f = F/L
where
f = friction factor
F = frictional resistance force in plane of interface
L = vertical load.

60
 USES OF FRICTION DATA

 Some agencies have well established monitoring

programs to identify areas having problems related
to pavement friction.
 Others employ friction measurement equipment
on a reaction basis (i.e., on surfaces suspected to
have low friction) in terms of carrying out
pavement maintenance and rehabilitation to
ensure public safety.
 Friction test data may be used in a pavement
management system to rank safety related
rehabilitation treatments.
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USES OF FRICTION DATA (CONT’D)
FACTORS AFFECTING SKID RESISTANCE
& HYDROPLANING
 Traffic & Seasonal Variation
 Vehicle Factors
 Speed
 Tire Pressure
 Wheel Load
 Tire Tread
 Pavement Factors
 Surface Texture: Mactrotexture & Microtexture:
(Hysteresis & Adhesion)
 Drainage

63