Implementation of Rolling Wheel Deflectometer (RWD) in PMS and Pavement Preservation : Tech Summary

Tech summary.PDFTech ReportLTRC project number: 09-2PSIO number: 30000143PavementsPavement management systemsPavement maintenanceDeflection testsFalling weight deflectometersLouisianaLouisiana Transportation Research CenterElseifi, MostafaLouisiana State University (Baton Rouge, La.)Louisiana Transportation Research CenterLouisiana. Dept. of Transportation and DevelopmentNTL-HIGHWAY/ROAD TRANSPORTATION-HIGHWAY/ROAD TRANSPORTATIONNTL-HIGHWAY/ROAD TRANSPORTATION-MaterialsNTL-HIGHWAY/ROAD TRANSPORTATION-Pavement Management and PerformanceUS Transportation CollectionEvaluation of pavement structural capacity and integrity is an important component of the Pavement ManagementSystem (PMS) to assist in the selection of suitable maintenance and rehabilitation strategies. The falling weightdefl ectometer (FWD) is a non-destructive defl ection testing method that is widely used at the project-level to assessthe structural capacity of in-service pavements. However, issues such as expenses involved in data collection andscarcity of resources appear to present obstacles for a wide adoption of FWD for pavement testing at the networklevel. In addition, delays due to lane closures may compromise the safety of the traveling public and highwayworkers, which may not justify the worth of the collected data. The rolling wheel defl ectometer (RWD), whichmeasures defl ections at highway speeds, was introduced to support existing non-destructive testing techniques byproviding for a screening tool of structurally defi cient pavements at the network level. RWD testing does not causetraffi c disruption or decreased safety along the tested highway. This nondestructive testing (NDT) device also off ersthe potential of characterizing the structural capacity and integrity of the pavement network in an eff ective way interms of time and cost associated with the testing process