Author(s):
E.G. Fernando, G.L. Harrison
Publication Date
April 2014
Abstract
The existing smoothness specifications of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) require certification of inertial profilers for ride quality assurance testing. Currently, inertial profilers are certified based on profile measurements collected on dense-graded hot-mix asphalt concrete, and flexible base sections with distinctly different textures when the dense-graded asphalt surfaces on which these profilers were certified. TxDOT also uses inertial profilers to measure the smoothness of the state highway network as part of the department's annual pavement condition surveys to support pavement management applications. A significant percentage of this network consists of roads with seal coat surfaces and surface treatments. Since texture affects the international roughness index, there is a need to build additional sections to certify profilers over the range of textured surfaces on which they will be used. This project aims to enhance TxDOT's profiler certification program by building additional test sections at the Texas A&M Riverside Campus to include surfaces with different textures and smoothness levels. These new sections are expected to improve the validity and applicability of TxDOT's certification program, and also the accuracy of ride quality measurements.
Report Number:
5-9047-01-1
Keywords:
Inertial Profiler, Profiler Certification, Reference Profile Measurement, Ride Quality Measurement
Link(s):
Document/Product
http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/5-9047-01-1.pdf
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