Testing vehicle on new highway shoulder
Surveying & Spatial

Pavement Testing

Pavement testing is essential to prioritise and manage maintenance activities on pavement surfaces - whether it’s main arterials, back country rural roads, runways or ports.

Woods provides Pavement Condition Surveying and Structural surveying so our clients can be assured of the current and future pavement quality. Knowing your pavement data supports in future planning and maintenance of your roading.

Pavement Condition Testing

Woods uses a high-resolution survey system to collect and report high accuracy data to determine network performance, construction compliance as well as geo-location and condition of surface defects and assets. 

Our equipment collects data such as crack and pothole depth, rutting, and many other defects.

High Speed Data (HSD) Surveys

Our High-Speed Data (HSD) survey vehicle is one of the most advanced, integrated and multi-functional road surveying system. HSD surveys typically require roughness, rutting, texture and geometry data. Equipped with the latest Pavemetrics’ Laser Crack Measurement System (LCMS) scanners, our HSD survey vehicle can simultaneously collect these data sets along with cracking and pothole detection, and a multitude of other surface defects in one survey. It records a 4m wide profile and takes a scan every 2-5mm along the road at normal traffic speed. Unaffected by ambient light, our system can also collect multitude of defects including cracking and pothole data day or night.

Applications:
  • Perform forward works programme and undertake asset valuation.
  • Plan maintenance activities and maintain the network to a high standard.
  • Annual survey allows pavement deterioration to be assessed and therefore determine modelling.
Benefits:
  • Multiple datasets collected in one survey: additional data can be obtained by further processing later.
  • The ability to reprocess data using a variety of parameters without the need to resurvey.
  • Quality Control Sites surveyed before testing commences.
  • LCMS laser-based imagery; can be operated day or night.
  • Lane Tracking eliminates the influence of vehicle by referencing data to land markings and kerb position instead of the vehicles position.
  • High accuracy transverse profiles with 4000+ points across lane compared to traditional (up to) 17 single transverse profile.
  • LCMS can calculate macrotexture across the lane width.
High-Definition Video Imagery

High-definition video imagery provides a snapshot of pavement condition. From an asset management point of view, it can assist in making engineering decisions and validating the forward works programmes. In construction, it is proof of the surface condition prior to commencing major works where construction traffic may damage the road.

Applications:
  • Capture network condition on a regular basis to reduce on-site visits.
  • True and accurate record for construction projects - record pre– and post-construction pavement surface.
  • Sealed and unsealed condition survey for asset management and inventory.
  • RAMM visual condition rating - surface defects
Benefits:
  • Data in non-proprietary formats (JPEG, AVI, MPEG) means it can be viewed with standard software.
  • Compatible with JunoViewer; images can be easily uploaded.
  • Minimises risk for engineers being out on site.
Roughness Compliance (NAASRA)

Perform roughness (NAASRA) survey to ensure your projects meets specifications. This ride quality compliance is required as part of any new road builds, or rehabilitation project sign-off.

The survey is performed at traffic speed eliminating the need for temporary traffic management. Three replica survey runs / passes are undertaken along each lane and the average roughness is provided at the required intervals.

Applications:
  • Ride quality, ensure pavement surface is smooth and safe for the public to drive on.
  • Project sign-off, a key performance indicator for completion of projects
Benefits:
  • Independent surveyor, receive a fair outcome
  • High accuracy data provided at required intervals
  • Skilled operators with sound understanding on good quality data
  • Processing is conducted in the office ensuring accurate, reliable data is delivered.
Deliverables
  • Roughness (IRI & NAASRA)
  • Rut Depth, Width and Cross-section
  • Shoving
  • Texture (MPD, ETD, SPTD)
  • Cracking (width, depth, length, type and sealed or unsealed)
  • Bleeding
  • Ravelling
  • Pothole Detection
  • Concrete Joints and Faulting
  • Edge and Kerb Detection
  • Road Geometry
  • GIS Centreline Data
  • Asset Inventory Rating
  • Pavement Marking Detection
  • Surface Defect Rating
  • Video Imagery
  • Laser based Pavement Imaging

 

Structural Testing

Structural testing enables our clients to ascertain pavement strength, and therefore performance. Woods offer tailored structural testing, covering network-level, project-level and new builds surveys. With the use of Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) and Heavy Weight Deflectometer (HWD), structural testing surveys are performed to simulate road traffic conditions and measure fatigue and /or subgrade deformation.

For testing pavements such as airfields, ports and thick highway pavements, a regular FWD load may not be enough. That’s when a HWD is ideal; to apply greater loads to obtain decent deflections.

Applications:
  • Used in forward works programmes and for modelling.
  • Pavement designs, rehabilitations and reconstruction.
  • Newly built pavement compliance testing.
  • Network asset value.
  • Pavement residual life.
  • Deflection and curvature results can be used to target geotechnical testing
Benefits:
  • Independent surveyor, receive a fair outcome without any vested interest.
  • Rapid testing: one test point completed within a minute.
  • High accuracy data provided at required intervals.
  • Skilled operators with sound understanding on good quality data.
  • Operated from the safety of the vehicle; no need to be physically on the network.
  • Real time, on-site, monitoring of data ensuring high quality reliable data is delivered
Deliverables
  • Raw FWD File (F25 format)
  • Deflection and Curvature Results
  • Structural Number (SNP) for RAMM and dTIMS
  • Estimated Subgrade CBR
  • Spatial Positioning of Each Test Point
  • Layer Moduli Results Based on Pavement Layer Information
  • Remaining Life Based on Traffic Count Data
  • Pavement Designs
  • Airfields: PCN Assessment

Get in contact

Find out how Woods can help with your project.