Pavement Condition/Integrity...

Over time the forces such as freezing and thawing, exposure to sun, water and traffic combine to deteriorate a pavement structure.  One measure of pavement integrity is strength (measured by physical methods such as Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD).  Another measure of integrity is the variance in homogeneity.  Wave propagation techniques such as GPR, seismic, and Impact/Echo can be used to map integrity.

For concrete pavements, there is an excellent discussion of GPR and SASW/Impact Echo Methods discussed under Bridge Decks in a section under a similar title.

Techniques Recommended

Surface NDT Methods:

• Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)-homogeneity
• Surface wave for modulus, stiffness and homogeneity
• Impact Echo-stiffness

While other methods are available or under development, the ones listed above provide cost-effective determination of pavement integrity.

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