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Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology
Coordinating, Developing, and Delivering Highway Transportation Innovations

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This report is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information
Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-08-056
Date: November 2008

LTPP Manual for Profile Measurements and Processing

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FOREWORD

The Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program is a study of pavement performance at nearly 2,500 in-service pavement sections in the United States and Canada. LTPP's goal is to improve pavement performance and cost-effectiveness.

Toward accomplishing these objectives, LTPP is collecting data on in-service pavement sections over a 20-year period. The data collected at the test sections are stored in the LTPP Pavement Performance Database (PPDB). These data are being used and will continue to be used to achieve the goal and objectives of the LTPP program.

This manual describes operational procedures to be followed when measuring longitudinal pavement profiles for the LTPP program using the International Cybernetics Corporation (ICC) road profiler, Face Company Dipstick®, and the rod and level. This manual also describes procedures to be followed in the office when processing profile data that were collected in the field as well as guidelines for performing interregional comparison tests among the four LTPP profilers.

Gary L. Henderson

Director, Office of Infrastructure Research and Development

Notice

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the use of the information contained in this document. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.

The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers' names appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the object of the document.

Quality Assurance Statement

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvements.

TECHNICAL REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE

1. Report No.
FHWA-HRT-08-056

2. Government Accession No.

3. Recipient's Catalog No.

4. Title and Subtitle
LTPP Manual for Profile Measurements and Processing

5. Report Date
November 2008

6. Performing Organization Code

7. Author(s)
R.W. Perera, S.D. Kohn, and G.R. Rada

8. Performing Organization Report No.

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc.
43980 Plymouth Oaks Blvd.
Plymouth, MI 48170

Mactec Engineering and Consulting
12104 Indian Creek Court, Suite A
Beltsville, MD 20705

10. Work Unit No.

11. Contract or Grant No.
DTFH61-02-C-00007

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

Pavement Performance Division
Federal Highway Administration
6300 Georgetown Pike
McLean, VA 22101-2296

13. Type of Report and Period

Covered

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

HRDI-13

15. Supplementary Notes

Contracting Officer's Technical Representative: Aramis Lopez, Jr.

16. Abstract

This manual describes operational procedures for measuring longitudinal pavement profiles for the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Program using the International Cybernetics Corporation (ICC) road profiler, Face Company Dipstick®, and the rod and level. It also contains procedures for measuring transverse profiles of the pavement using the Face Company Dipstick®. Procedures for calibration of equipment, data collection, record keeping, and maintenance of equipment for each of these profiling devices are described in this manual. This manual also describes procedures to be followed in the office when processing the profile data that were collected in the field as well as guidelines for performing inter-regional comparison tests among the LTPP profilers.

17. Key Words
Pavement Profile, Profile Measurements, Inertial Profiler, Road Profiler, Pavement Data Collection, long Term pavement Performance

18. Distribution Statement
No restrictions.

19. Security Classif. (of this report)
Unclassified

20. Security Classif. (of this page)
Unclassified

21. No. of Pages
241

22. Price
N/A

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed pages authorized


Metric Conversion Chart


Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 2. PROFILE MEASUREMENTS USING ICC PROFILER

CHAPTER 3. PROFILE MEASUREMENTS USING THE FACE DIPSTICK®

CHAPTER 4. PROFILE MEASUREMENTS USING THE ROD AND LEVEL

CHAPTER 5. PROCESSING OF PROFILE DATA IN THE OFFICE

CHAPTER 6. INTER-REGIONAL PROFILER COMPARISON TESTS

APPENDIX A. PROFILER PROBLEM REPORT FORM

APPENDIX B. PROFILE TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE

APPENDIX C. STANDARD FORMS FOR PROFILER OPERATIONS

APPENDIX D. STANDARD FORMS FOR DIPSTICK® MEASUREMENTS

APPENDIX E. PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING DIPSTICK® FOOTPAD SPACING

APPENDIX F. DATA COLLECTION FORM FOR ROD AND LEVEL PROFILE MEASUREMENTS

APPENDIX G. FORMS FOR INTER-REGIONAL PROFILER COMPARISON TESTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

REFERENCES

List of Figures

Figure 1. Map. LTPP regions

Figure 2. Photo. Laser on/off switch

Figure 3. Photo. Locations of horizontal and vertical photocells

Figure 4. Photo. Position and mounting of horizontal photocell

Figure 5. Photo. Position and mounting of vertical photocell

Figure 6. Photo. Keyboard, video, and mouse (KVM) switch

Figure 7. Photo. Power switch positions

Figure 8. Photo. Inverter switch

Figure 9. Photo. Switches on computer case

Figure 10. Photo. UPS on/off switch

Figure 11. Photo. Monitor on/off switch

Figure 12. Photo. Remote switch for inverter power

Figure 13. Screen shot. MDR main menu (1)

Figure 14. Screen shot. Options menu (1)

Figure 15. Screen shot. ICC system parameters screen

Figure 16. Screen shot. Calibration menu (1)

Figure 17. Screen shot. Sensor calibration menu (1)

Figure 18. Screen shot. Sensor configurations

Figure 19. Screen shot. Sensor spacing submenu

Figure 20. Screen shot. Key rut positions screen

Figure 21. Screen shot. Rutting order screen

Figure 22. Screen shot. Sensor spacing screen

Figure 23. Screen shot. Sensor serial number screen

Figure 24. Screen shot. Run menu (1)

Figure 25. Screen shot. Run options menu (1)

Figure 26. Screen shot. IRI options screen (1)

Figure 27. Screen shot. ProQual system menu

Figure 28. Screen shot. Equipment screen in ProQual

Figure 29. Screen shot. Analysis parameter screen in ProQual

Figure 30. Screen shot. Sensor calibration menu (2)

Figure 31. Screen shot. Calibration check screen (1)

Figure 32. Photo. Laser dot centered on base plate (1)

Figure 33. Photo. Calibration surface plate on top of base plate (1)

Figure 34. Screen shot. Readings taken on base plate (1)

Figure 35. Photo. Block on top of base plate with calibration plate on top of block (1)

Figure 36. Screen shot. Readings being taken on 25-mm blocks (1)

Figure 37. Screen shot. Reading taken on base plate for single block test

Figure 38. Screen shot. Readings being taken on 25-mm block-single block test

Figure 39. Screen shot. Accelerometer calibration menu (1)

Figure 40. Screen shot. Accelerometer calibration screen (1)

Figure 41. Screen shot. MDR main menu (2)

Figure 42. Screen shot. Run menu (2)

Figure 43. Screen shot. IRI options screen (2)

Figure 44. Screen shot. Run options screen

Figure 45. Screen shot. Run screen of MDR program (1)

Figure 46. Screen shot. Adjusting scale of graph in WinGraph

Figure 47. Screen shot. Output from combined bounce test

Figure 48. Screen shot. WinGraph screen after static test has been terminated

Figure 49. Screen shot. WinGraph screen after dynamic bounce test has been terminated

Figure 50. Screen shot. MDR main menu (3)

Figure 51. Screen shot. WinGraph program running in system 1

Figure 52. Screen shot. Options menu (2)

Figure 53. Screen shot. ICC systems parameters screen

Figure 54. Screen shot. Run menu (3)

Figure 55. Screen shot. Run options menu (2)

Figure 56. Screen shot. IRI options screen (3)

Figure 57. Screen shot. Header file list

Figure 58. Screen shot. LTPP parameters screen

Figure 59. Screen shot. Run menu (4)

Figure 60. Screen shot. Run screen of MDR program (2)

Figure 61. Screen shot. End of run note screen

Figure 62. Screen shot. Site files in ProQual

Figure 63. Illustration. Layout of WIM site

Figure 64. Screen shot. Calibration menu (2)

Figure 65. Screen shot. Distance calibration screen

Figure 66. Screen shot. Calibration screen after obtaining six runs

Figure 67. Screen shot. Calibration menu (3)

Figure 68. Screen shot. Accelerometer calibration menu (2)

Figure 69. Screen shot. Accelerometer calibration screen (2)

Figure 70. Photo. Support blocks

Figure 71. Photo. Profiler on top of support blocks

Figure 72. Photo. Laser dot centered on base plate (2)

Figure 73. Photo. Calibration surface plate on top of base plate (2)

Figure 74. Screen shot. Sensor calibration menu (3)

Figure 75. Screen shot. Calibration check screen (2)

Figure 76. Screen shot. Readings taken on base plate (2)

Figure 77. Photo. Block on top of base plate with calibration plate on top of block (2)

Figure 78. Screen shot. Readings being taken on 25-mm blocks (2)

Figure 79. Screen shot. Readings taken on base plate (base plate below sensor #1)

Figure 80. Screen shot. Readings taken with 25-mm block below sensor #1

Figure 81. Photo. Accelerometer test tool

Figure 82. Screen shot. Equipment table in ProQual

Figure 83. Photo. Section starting stripe and bump target placed on the pavement

Figure 84. Photo. Placement of vertical photocell target in relation to section starting location

Figure 85. Screen shot. Photocell target parameters for determining horizontal photocell offset

Figure 86. Screen shot. Photocell target parameters for determining vertical photocell offset

Figure 87. Screen shot. WinReport program menus

Figure 88. Screen shot. Parameters set in the advanced options tab

Figure 89. Screen shot. File selection window in WinReport program

Figure 90. Screen shot. Text format profile data displayed in WordPad window

Figure 91. Screen shot. Profile data displayed in WordPad window-horizontal photocell test

Figure 92. Screen shot. Profile data displayed in WordPad window-vertical photocell test

Figure 93. Illustration. Site layout and measurement procedure for measuring longitudinal profiles with the Dipstick®

Figure 94. Graph. Spike in profile data (profile data for run 4 has been offset for clarity)

Figure 95. Graph. Data collected with a correctly calibrated and a miscalibrated DMI

Figure 96. Graph. Example of early profile start

Figure 97. Graph. Differences in profile due to rehabilitation of section

Figure 98. Graph. Differences in profile due to maintenance within section

Figure 99. Illustration. Test section layout

Figure 100. Illustration. Location of back footpad of Dipstick® at start of the section

Figure 101. Illustration. Back end of front footpad is past the end of the test section when last reading is obtained

Figure 102. Illustration. Back end of the front footpad is before the end of the test section when last reading is obtained

List of Tables

Table 1. Allowable closure errors for transverse Dipstick® measurements

Table 2. Resolution requirement for rod and level measurements

Table 3. Suggested format of RSC office log

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

AC Asphalt Concrete
ACF Accelerometer Calibration Factor
AIMS Ancillary Information Management System
DCF Distance Calibration Factor
DMI Distance Measuring Instrument
FHWA Federal Highway Administration
GPS General Pavement Studies
ICC International Cybernetics Corporation
IRI International Roughness Index
LTPP Long Term Pavement Performance
PCC Portland Cement Concrete
PPDB Pavement Performance Database
RSC Regional Support Contractor
SHRP Strategic Highway Research Program
SMP Seasonal Monitoring Program
SPS Specific Pavement Studies
TSSC Technical Support Services Contractor
WIM Weigh-in-Motion
UPS Uninterruptible Power Supply

 

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