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Rolling Wheel Deflectometer
Problem Statement and Objectives
The
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) desired a device that allowed
for the rapid, efficient structural assessment of highway networks.
Traditional methods of deflection testing are stationary operations,
which are slow and require lane closures that are dangerous for
field crews and disruptive to the traveling public. To answer this
need, ARA designed and built an innovative device known as the
Rolling Wheel Deflectometer (RWD).
The RWD
is a one-of-a-kind device that measures the pavement deflection
beneath an actual moving semi-trailer wheel load. ARA designed and
built the RWD trailer, which loads the pavement with an 18,000 single
axle. A continuous deflection profile is measured by a series of
lasers mounted beneath the RWD trailer. For the first time in the
U.S., highway agencies are able to measure pavement deflections at
normal highway speeds, without the need, expense, or safety risk
involved with lane closures.
Results and Benefits
The RWD
has been field tested extensively, and it has the accuracy and
repeatability necessary for network-level pavement structural
evaluation. RWD data can be used in network-level analysis in several
ways, including the prioritization of roads to be worked on, and the
determination of appropriate rehabilitation strategies. Selecting the
most appropriate rehabilitation strategy at the network level
optimizes the use of limited highway improvement funds. The benefits
of using the RWD as part of network-level pavement management include:
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Measures pavement
deflection applied by an actual, moving semi-trailer wheel load
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Records
a continuous deflection profile
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Operates at normal
highway speeds
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Does not require
lane closures (improved safety and less interruption to users)
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Provides for rapid
data processing
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Results can be
integrated into existing pavement management systems
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The RWD is an
innovative method for evaluating highway structural conditions.
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