Evaluation of an Existing Imaging System for Pavement Surface Distress Survey

The categorization and quantification of the type, severity, and extent of pavement surface distress is a primary method for assessing pavement condition. The current data collection system in the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) uses an analog and frame based video Van, which does not provide automated pavement surface imaging capabilities. This project includes the evaluation of a newly developed survey system, WiseCrax, by the RoadWare Corporation in Ontario, Canada. The survey system from RoadWare includes data collection and a recognition engine called WiseCrax. The evaluation compared selected results from the automated survey from RoadWare and results from manual survey by AHTD staff. A survey of current users of WiseCrax was also conducted for this project. A report on the use of WiseCrax by Mr. Ed Block of Connecticut Department of Transportation is attached as Appendix A for reference. The report also describes the status of technology in the area of automated pavement distress survey and possible future directions. The report concludes that there still exist limitations in accuracy, speed and degree of automation with WiseCrax and other existing systems.