Measurement of Pavement Surface Variations, July 1974

The measurement of pavement roughness has been the concern of highway engineers for more than 70 years. This roughness is referred to as "riding quality" by the traveling public. Pavement roughness evaluating devices have attempted to place either a graphical or numerical value on the public's riding comfort or discomfort. Early graphical roughness recorders had many different designs. In 1900 an instrument called the "Viagraph" was developed by an Irish engineer.' The "Viagraph" consisted of a twelve foot board with graphical recorder drawn over the pavement. The "Profilometer" built in Illinois in 1922 was much more impressive. ' The instrument's recorder was mounted on a frame supported by 32 bicycle wheels mounted in tandem. Many other variations of profilometers with recorders were built but most were difficult to handle and could not secure uniformly reproducible results. The Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) Road Roughness Indicator b u i l t in 1941 is the most widely used numerical roughness recorder.' The BPR Road Roughness Indicator consists of a trailer unit with carefully selected springs, means of dampening, and balanced wheel.

Profile equipment evaluation.

Texas Department of Transportation, Austin

Pavement roughness evaluations using a Mays ride meter. Final report.

Mode of access: Internet.

Calibration services for pavement survey equipment. Executive summary. Final report.

Federal Highway Administration, Office of Engineering and Highway Operations Research and Development, Washington, D.C.

Feasibility study for an improved acoustic probe for road roughness profiling.

Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C.

Rideability equipment evaluation. Final report.

Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C.

Upgrade of 690D surface dynamics profilometer for non-contact measurements. Final report.

Texas State Department of Highways and Public Transportation, Austin

The Walker Roughness Device for roughness measurements. Final report.

Texas State Department of Highways and Public Transportation, Austin

Performance of the analog and the digital profilometer with wheels and with non-contract transducers. Final report.

Texas State Department of Highways and Public Transportation, Transportation Planning Division, Austin

Calibration procedures for roadmeters. Final report.

Federal Highway Administration, Office of Implementation, Washington, D.C.

Road profile study. Final report.

Mode of access: Internet.

Demonstration project no. 72, automated pavement data collection equipment roughness and profile measurement. Equipment summary.

Mode of access: Internet.

Integration of inertial profilometer in ODOT Pavement Management System. Final report.

Ohio Department of Transportation, Columbus.

Evaluation of a K. J. Law Model 8300 Ultrasonic Roughness Testing Device. Final report.

Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C.

Determination of long-term stability of pavement ride quality data. Final report.

Ohio Department of Transportation, Columbus