Proposed severity ranking for ASTM E3303-21 protocol to quantify asphalt pavement cracking from automated 3D surveys

Abstract

Abstract Cracking is one of the essential indicators to evaluate pavement surface conditions; however, it is challenging to rate pavement cracking automatically from 3D digital images. Recently, a two-level automated crack rating system was proposed for pavement management in Singapore where Level 1 provides detailed crack information including cracking extent, types, and severity. Level 2 is a macro-indicator ranging from 0 to 5 based on crack extent over a 10-m length pavement section, with 0 being excellent condition and 5 being very bad condition. On the other hand, the new ASTM E3303-21 standard has introduced the Pavement Surface Cracking Metric which is a dimensionless measure equivalent to crack density and the Pavement Surface Cracking Index which provides ratings of pavement cracking ranging from 0 to 100, with 0 being the worst possible condition and 100 being the best possible condition. This study was conducted to compare and potentially bridge the gaps between the two mentioned cracking rating methods. Cracking data were collected from the Singapore road network using the Laser Crack Measurement System-2 (LCMS-2). Based on the study findings, three severity ranks (low, medium, and high) were proposed to facilitate the inclusion of the ASTM E3303-21 cracking protocol into Pavement Condition Index calculations.