Smaller, quicker, cheaper automated carriageway surveys

This project has investigated the requirement for, and practicality of, extending automated road carriageway condition surveys to those parts of the network for which the current SCANNER surveys are considered to be impractical or not cost effective. The project has investigated, through consultation, the requirements for surveys of unclassified roads, and how theseneeds could be met using an automated road carriageway condition survey. This has generated a draft specification for automated machine surveys of unclassified roads. However, further investigation has shown that there may be difficulties in supporting two different automated road carriageway condition surveys on the local road network. It may more practical to extend current SCANNER surveys to (appropriate) unclassified roads, supplemented by driven visual surveys where SCANNER is not appropriate. Survey contractors should be encouraged to include the additional capability desired for unclassified roads on any new vehicles. This will lead, in the longer term, to survey vehicles capable of meeting the needs of both classified andunclassified roads. (A)