Comparison of Different Methods of Measuring Pavement Conditions : Technical Paper

This report presents the results of a field study of the precision of various roughometers and profilometers for predicting serviceability.Forty-five pavement sections of three types (flexible, rigid and overlay) were rated by a lay panel, the AASHO Road Test panel and the Highway Research Board Committee on Pavement Condition Evaluation.These same pavements were evaluated using the roughness and profilometer equipment.Statistical relationships, following techniques adopted at the ASSHO Road Test, were developed between rating and objective measurements.The lay panel tended to rate the pavements higher than the professional panels.The results indicated little difference regarding the precision of the various instruments in so far as predicting serviceability is concerned.The data suggest that the BPR type roughometer can be used successfully for predicting serviceability.Data from this study were combined with those from the AASHO Road Test and serviceability equations were developed for these combined data on the basis of the Slope Profilometer.Correlations between roughometers and the Slope Profilometer were presented.Equations are presented which should permit engineers who have past records of rough- ometer readings to interpret these data in terms of Present Serviceability Indices.* All figures are in the appendix.D. Combined Roughometer Serviceability Equations and EquipmentEquations .