Using NDT Data to Assess the Effect of Pavement Thickness Variability on Ride Quality

Abstract

Pavement condition largely determines its long-term behavior and is of paramount importance for rehabilitation and maintenance management. The use of non-destructive testing (NDT) systems to assess pavement condition has gained much popularity. Often, well-known NDT systems are combined to take full advantage of the capabilities of each system. Combining independent NDT systems to optimize the assessment process is a scientific challenge. With this in mind, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which data from two independent NDT systems can be combined: pavement thickness obtained with ground penetrating radar (GPR) and roughness data obtained with a road surface profiler (RSP). In particular, the objective of this study is to determine whether the expected variations in asphalt layer thickness, due to the construction process and the different pavement cross sections along the same road/highway road, may have an impact on pavement roughness as expressed in International Roughness Index (IRI) values. GPR and roughness data are collected, processed, and analyzed. The analysis results show that thickness variations are reflected in pavement roughness. The greater the variation in asphalt layer thickness, the greater the IRI values. Furthermore, it is argued that the GPR capabilities can be used for an initial assessment of the expected pavement quality.