Using Profile Measurements to Locate and Measure Grind and Fill Areas to Improve Pavement Ride

Good ride quality, proper cross slope, and accurate material estimates are important for an overlay project. Currently there is not a method in Texas to accurately relate the condition of an existing roadway with the potential benefits of different overlay and milling strategies during the design phase or provide the appropriate information to the contractor. Many Districts have requested the use of the Texas Department of Transportation inertial profilers to locate and measure potential grind and fill areas on paving projects prior to overlays. The Districts want to use a high-speed accurate instrument to survey the existing roadway without disrupting traffic. This research develops a method which can integrate data from a scanning laser or multi-path profiles with a gyroscope and inertial profiler for viewing three-dimensional pavement surfaces for overlay and milling strategies.