2013 Session: 241

• Development and Field Evaluation of a Texture Measurement System Based on Continuous Profiles from a 3D Scanning System
  Abstract: Pavement texture is a very important indicator of road serviceability. Pavement texture can be linked to the pavement skid resistance and traffic safety to the traveling public. Due to these important links, most transportation agencies across the nation require texture data for their Pavement Management System. Current pavement texture measurement methods use a high speed distance sensor or a 3D line scan device, both of which experience limitations on data stability. Problems caused by vehicle vibration, bad data from optical sensors and most importantly, speed dependency related to the sensor sampling and exposure time make the texture results either unreliable or inaccurate due to severe errors. This paper reports a study on the influence of speed on network level texture data collection and the development of a high speed and high precision 3D texture system. The experiment confirmed that improper selection of a sensor with a large exposure time will suffer significant speed dependency on measured texture data. The system developed in this study adopted a very small exposure time for each sampling and can produce accurate texture data largely independent from vehicle speed.
  Authors: Huang, Yaxiong; Copenhaver, Todd; Hempel, Phillip; Mikhail, Magdy
  Authors: Huang, Yaxiong; Copenhaver, Todd; Hempel, Phillip; Mikhail, Magdy
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Design; Pavements
  Session: 241
  Paper Number: 13-2615
• Development of an Asphalt Pavement Distress Evaluation Method forFreeways in China
  Abstract: Reasonable evaluation of the asphalt pavement distresses condition is a very important part of the pavement management system. The objective of this research is to develop an effective method to evaluate asphalt pavement distress condition in China. Three single evaluation indexes were proposed, namely the Transverse Cracking Evaluation Index (TCEI), Pavement Patching Condition Index (PPCI), and Pavement Surface Distress Condition Index (PSCI), to assessthe critical properties of asphalt pavement distresses. The pavement distress condition index (PDCI) was then developed as a general evaluation index by using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The feasibility of this evaluating method was validated using the field distress data collected from Ning Hang freeway and Fen Guan freeway in Jiangsu Province, China. The results showed that the PDCI can reasonably represent the distress condition in asphalt pavements. The index value can be well correlated with the actual condition of the in-place pavement. Therefore, a scientific and rational method has been established to evaluate Chinese asphalt pavement distress condition.
  Authors: Zhou, Lan; Ni, Fujian; Leng, Zhen
  Authors: Zhou, Lan; Ni, Fujian; Leng, Zhen
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Design; Pavements
  Session: 241
  Paper Number: 13-2600
• Analysis of Pavement Surface Distress Condition on Major Corridors in New Mexico
  Abstract: Road and highway networks, as a part of the transportation infrastructure, play an indispensable role in the local economy and community development. The high-quality pavement serviceability of these networks is essential to ensure safe, cost-effective, daily traffic operations. In-depth analyses of wide-range pavement surface condition data are necessary inputs for optimal pavement design and maintenance, traffic safety enhancement, and sustainable traffic infrastructure system development. This study aims to investigate various pavement condition performance measurements and their correlations, and better understand temporal-spatial characteristics of roadway surface distresses based on the pavement distress condition data collected by the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) from 2006 to 2009. Eight major corridors across various urban and rural areas were selected for analyzing pavement surface distress conditions and discovering their intrinsic characteristics and patterns across both temporal and spatial domains in New Mexico. The analyses results show there are not significant correlations among different surface distress condition measurements at the significant level of p=0.05, implying the rationality of the current pavement condition performance measurements used by the state transportation agencies. The regression models were established and time series analyses were performed for extracting temporal and spatial patterns of distress rate (DR) data. The model results illustrate strong correlations of the DR data on the same route between two consecutive years, which can be partially characterized by a Markov chain process. GIS-based spatial investigations also show unique features of pavement condition deterioration attributed to diverse geometric characteristics and traffic conditions, such as vehicle compositions and volumes, etc. in urban and rural areas. The research findings are helpful to better understand the characteristics of pavement distress conditions and optimize traffic infrastructure design and maintenance.
  Authors: Chen, Cong; Zhang`, Su; Zhang, Guohui; Bogus, Susan; Valentin, Vanessa
  Authors: Chen, Cong; Zhang`, Su; Zhang, Guohui; Bogus, Susan; Valentin, Vanessa
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Design; Pavements
  Session: 241
  Paper Number: 13-3155
• Aerial Photograph-based Pavement Surface Distress Detection and Assessment
  Abstract: The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) has used a manual, visual pavement distress evaluation method for many years. However, manual, visual evaluation of pavement surface distress is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and potentially dangerous. In order to overcome these limitations, this paper presents a novel approach for pavement surface distress detection through the use of aerial photos. This study was conducted using aerial photographs taken in 2010 and 2011 for part of the state of New Mexico. Twenty mileposts were selected as the study sites and the distress rates for these mileposts were calculated based on manual, visual observations using standard NMDOT protocols. Using the aerial photos as the base map, polygons were manually created on the aerial photos to simulate the visual evaluation zones. The statistics of the spectral response of different bands within these polygons were extracted and compared to the calculated distress rates using stepwise linear regression models. The results revealed that the spectral response in the aerial photos closely matches the calculated distress rates. These results open the way for the future use of aerial photographs to measure pavement distress rates, thereby providing a cost-effective, efficient, and safer alternative to traditional evaluation methods.
  Authors: Zhang`, Su; Bogus, Susan; Neville, Paul R.H.; Zhang, Guohui; Chen, Cong; Valentin, Vanessa
  Authors: Zhang`, Su; Bogus, Susan; Neville, Paul R.H.; Zhang, Guohui; Chen, Cong; Valentin, Vanessa
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Design; Pavements
  Session: 241
  Paper Number: 13-3156
• Improving the Quality of Profile Measurements by Lifting Wavelet Filters
  Abstract: Profile measurement activities called as profiling require algorithms to eliminate unwanted noise and to extract the information of interest from measured data for the calculation of International Roughness Index (IRI) as well as any roughness index. Pavement cracks particularly cause problems in the calculation. Although a low-pass gsmoothingh filter will reduce a large dip caused by a crack included in a profile, conventional filtering algorithms do not completely remove the influence of cracks. This study develops a new smoothing algorithm using the lifting scheme theory to improve the quality of profile measurements. The procedures for developing the algorithm include (1) learning free parameters by using training signals, and then (2) constructing lifting wavelet filters. The filters are especially intended to remove the influence of cracks in profile measurement data. This paper also provides a profile-smoothing simulation study to demonstrate the advantages of the lifting wavelet filters over conventional digital filters such as the moving average and Butterworth filters. The results indicate that the lifting wavelet filters are superior in eliminating the influence of cracks for roughness evaluation to the conventional filtering algorithms. Finally, we conclude that the lifting wavelet filters allow profile users to improve the quality of profile measurements for the roughness evaluation such as IRI calculation. The findings of this study contribute to many applications related to pavement management such as surface monitoring, development of measurement devices, and interaction analysis between surface properties and vehicles.
  Authors: Tomiyama, Kazuya; Kawamura, Akira; Ishida, Tateki
  Authors: Tomiyama, Kazuya; Kawamura, Akira; Ishida, Tateki
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Design; Pavements
  Session: 241
  Paper Number: 13-3405
• Evaluation of Rut-Depth Accuracy and Precision Using Different Automated Systems for Texas Conditions
  Abstract: Collecting accurate rutting data is important in order to assess network-level pavement conditions and to determine maintenance and rehabilitation needs and funding levels in order to optimize the use of available economic resources. The technical objective of this study was the assessment of the rut-depth (RD) accuracy and precision of different continuous automated systems (CAS), which represent the state-of-the-art for the automated data collection of rutting, and discrete automated systems (DAS), which are still used by several Department of Transportations (DOTs) in the United States. The RD values analyzed in this study were obtained by 1) field measurements at highway speeds using five different optical CAS, and 2) calculation simulating the use of DAS with different configurations. The analysis of the first type of values assessed the closeness of the RD produced by the different CAS to the RD manually measured for this study. The analysis of the second type of values assessed the effects of the number of sensors and the width of measurement on the DAS’s accuracy and precision. In addition, the impact of the RD accuracy and precision on the assessed pavement condition at network-level was analyzed for both the CAS that participated in the experiment and the simulated DAS.
  Authors: Serigos, Pedro A.; Murphy, Mike; Prozzi, Jorge A.
  Authors: Serigos, Pedro A.; Murphy, Mike; Prozzi, Jorge A.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Design; Pavements
  Session: 241
  Paper Number: 13-4117
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• A Mobile Cross Slope Measurement Method Using LiDAR Technology
  Abstract: A properly measured, effective cross slope facilitates drainage on highways and prevents hydroplaning. There is a need for transportation agencies to identify and measure road sections that have improper and non-effective cross slopes so that timely corrective maintenance can be performed. However, the traditional manual methods used by transportation agencies to measure cross slope, i.e. using digital level, are time-consuming and labor-intensive. They are not feasible for conducting a network-level cross slope measurement. This research project, sponsored by the United States Department of Transportation Research Innovative Technology Administration (USDOT RITA) program, proposes a new mobile cross-slope measurement method using emerging mobile LiDAR technology that can accurately and effectively conduct network-level cross slope measurement at highway speed. The contributions of this paper include the following: 1) proposing a mobile cross slope measurement method using emerging LiDAR technology (LiDAR cloud calibration, data acquisition, ROI extraction, and cross slope computation) ; 2) through a sensitivity study, determining the key parameter (i.e. the ROI interval) for the proposed method; 3) critically validating the accuracy and the repeatability of the proposed method by testing it in a controlled environment; and 4) conducting a case study to demonstrate the capability of the proposed method. Experimental testing at the Georgia Tech Savannah campus is first conducted to critically assess the accuracy and repeatability of measuring cross slopes. When compared to the ground truth established by digital level, the results from 15 cross slopes (ranging between 1.9% and 7.2%) show that the proposed method can achieve desirable accuracy with an average measurement difference of 0.13% (i.e. 0.08°). Results show that the proposed method can achieve a desirable level of repeatability with a standard deviation of less than 0.05% (i.e. 0.03°) in three different test runs. A case study on Interstate 285 is then conducted to demonstrate the capability of the proposed method for achieving proper, effective, network-level cross slope measurements. Results show that the proposed mobile method can be operated at highway speed and is very promising for a network-level cross slope adequacy assessment. Finally, conclusions and recommendations are presented.
  Authors: Tsai, Yichang (James); Ai, Chengbo; Wang, Zhaohua; Pitts, Eric C.
  Authors: Tsai, Yichang (James); Ai, Chengbo; Wang, Zhaohua; Pitts, Eric C.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Design; Pavements
  Session: 241
  Paper Number: 13-4768
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Development of an Asphalt Pavement Distress Evaluation Method for Freeways in China
  Authors: Zhou, Lan
  Authors: Zhou, Lan
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Design; Pavements
  Session: 241
  Paper Number: 13-2600
• Aerial Photograph-based Pavement Surface Distress Detection and Assessment
  Authors: Zhang, Su
  Authors: Zhang, Su
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Design; Pavements
  Session: 241
  Paper Number: 13-3156
• Analysis of Pavement Surface Distress Condition on Major Corridors in New Mexico
  Authors: Chen, Cong
  Authors: Chen, Cong
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Design; Pavements
  Session: 241
  Paper Number: 13-3155
• Improving the Quality of Profile Measurements by Lifting Wavelet Filters
  Authors: Tomiyama, Kazuya
  Authors: Tomiyama, Kazuya
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Design; Pavements
  Session: 241
  Paper Number: 13-3405