New and old technology available for pavement management system to determine pavement condition

The feasibility of many old and new technologies that can be used in determining pavement condition have been investigated. These technologies include image processing, electromagnetic waves, nuclear, laser, spin-up/ spin-down, eddy current, and ultrasonic waves. Various equipment in use and under development in United States and Europe have been identified and evaluated. The following measurements were considered: Crack, skid resistance, texture, profile, rut, deflection, voids detection, moisture, delamination of thin overlays, joint/crack spalling, and joint/crack damage. Some of the top identified equipment were evaluated for use at the network and project levels. The evaluation was based on technical merit. It was concluded that the existing deflection and longitudinal profiling equipment are adequate. In the case of skid resistance, the information obtained from the existing ASTM skid trailer can be greatly improved with the spin-up/spin-down technology. Electromagnetic waves showed promising results in various areas of application. The nuclear technology also showed some promising results in certain application. On the other hand, ultrasonic technology had serious limitations, especially in penetrating and pavement material, while eddy current technology showed no promise at all.