Road pavement rut detection using mobile and static terrestrial laser scanning

This research work was anticipated to quantify pavement rut depths for one of the main roads in Jordan. New techniques using mobile and terrestrial laser scanning systems were used in order to detect, assess, and evaluate the surface measured rutting values. A study area located to the south of Amman, the capital city of Jordan, was used for data collection purpose. Accuracy assessment was carried out with reference to ground measurements using differential global position system (GPS). GPS static measurements were used to have accurate and precise rutting locations and depths. Captured images were rectified, enhanced, and processed using threshold values and noise removal filters. Pavement rut depths were measured for different severity levels for the three mentioned different methods using digital surface models (DSM) extracted from the mobile and terrestrial laser scanning systems point clouds. Statistical analysis of the extracted surfaces showed that the mean difference of measured rut depths between mobile laser scanning and GPS was 24 mm, while it was 45 mm for the terrestrial laser scanning system. Results showed consistent accuracy and preference for terrestrial laser scanner measurements associated with least commission errors; however, mobile laser scanning system had lowest omission errors, whereas the potential accuracy measured in terms of root mean square error (RMSE) was 74 mm for the mobile laser scanning system and 93 mm of the static terrestrial laser scanner system, respectively. On the other hand, the consistency of accuracy of measurements was slightly better for the static terrestrial laser system with a mean average error (MAE) of 66 mm, while it was 97 mm for the mobile system. High correlation does exist between mobile laser scanner and GPS measurements with R2 of 0.92, while it was 0.89 between static terrestrial laser system and GPS systems. These results and potential accuracies of rut depth measurements of the new used techniques would open the door to adapt them in different micro and macro measurements in numerous transportation engineering applications.