Tests and surveillance on pavement surface characteristics

Abstract

Pavement surface characteristics have been gaining relevance with the changing mobility paradigm as they greatly contribute to the degree of safety, comfort, environmental quality and long lasting pavements. The surveillance methods of pavement surface characteristics have evolved from manual to semi- and automated methods and also to more cost-effective methods. Automated condition surveys provide objective high-quality data. At network level, pavement distresses, friction, evenness and texture are currently surveilled. More rarely surveyed and related to sustainability demands are tyre-road noise and rolling resistance. They rely on dedicated pavement data collection vehicles or trailers coupled to vehicles, equipped with high-speed digital cameras, laser systems, ultrasonic sensors, accelerometers, microphones, etc. As a complementary alternative to these methods, unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with cameras as well as smartphone-based data collection methods are arising. In a design framework, the laboratory methods to survey pavement surface characteristics often use the same technology as in the field tests adapted to a much smaller scale and lower testing speed. In this chapter, the latest advances in laboratory and field tests, and surveillance methods of pavement surface characteristics are described and their performance is analyzed.