Applications of Terrestrial Laser Scanner in Detecting Pavement Surface Defects

Abstract

An entire roadway system represents a crucial element in the sustainable urban transportation planning process. Pavement surfaces are at continual risk of accumulating serious deteriorations and defects throughout their service life due to traffic loading and environmental impact. Since roadway networks are growing rapidly, relying on visual pavement inspection is not always feasible. Therefore, this paper proposes an effective assessment method for evaluating flexible pavement surface distresses using a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) and calculating the pavement condition index (PCI). The proposed terrestrial laser scanner method results in road condition assessments becoming faster, safer, and more systematic. It also aims to determine the geometric characteristics of the investigated roads. A major road in Egypt was selected to test the proposed technique and compare it with the traditional visual inspection method. The evaluation was carried out to assess different types of pavement distress, such as cracking, rutting, potholes, and raveling distresses. Every pavement distress was defined in terms of surface area, the width of the crack, and intensity, and the data from TLS were then processed by MAGNET COLLAGE software. A MATLAB program was developed to match the TLS observational data to plane equations. PAVER software was also used to determine the PCI values for each TLS position. The revealed distresses for the investigated road using TLS observations reveal a significant improvement in determining flexible pavement distresses and geometric characteristics.

Comparison of Dimensional Accuracy between a Laser Scanner and a Laser Tracker with Handheld Scan in a Laboratory Setting

“…The GOM Atos Core, FARO Focus laser scanner, and Leica laser tracker measurement systems used in this study exemplify these technological advances, each with its unique characteristics, capabilities, and specific applications. Besides simplifying the measurement process, these systems enable measurements in both small and large volumes in industrial environments [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23].…”

“…For the Focus S 150 model, FARO specifies a systematic error of ±1 mm at 10 m and a precision of 1 mm under favorable measurement conditions [18], making this technology appealing for various applications, including environmental scanning, large-volume measurement, and measurements in both outdoor and indoor environments. All laser scanners operate on the same principle of emitting laser pulses but differ in how they capture the return signals: time of flight; phase-based; or triangulation [18][19][20]. The Focus S 150 laser scanner is based on the phase-based principle [18].…”

Design of Concrete Block Paving in Home Zone Traffic Circle Areas

“…This concerns, in particular, pavement distress and surface deformations at speed tables. The terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) method, i.e., a pavement condition survey method using a scanning total station, has been widely used in this application in recent years [30][31][32][33]. The terrestrial laser scanning survey data are logged as a 3D model, allowing for a highly accurate assessment of the pavement condition, including depths of surface damage and deformation [30][31][32].…”

“…The terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) method, i.e., a pavement condition survey method using a scanning total station, has been widely used in this application in recent years [30][31][32][33]. The terrestrial laser scanning survey data are logged as a 3D model, allowing for a highly accurate assessment of the pavement condition, including depths of surface damage and deformation [30][31][32]. Azam et al [30] and Beshr et al [32] also used this method to measure the joint gaps, ravelling, cracking, edge spalling and other types of pavement distress.…”

“…The terrestrial laser scanning survey data are logged as a 3D model, allowing for a highly accurate assessment of the pavement condition, including depths of surface damage and deformation [30][31][32]. Azam et al [30] and Beshr et al [32] also used this method to measure the joint gaps, ravelling, cracking, edge spalling and other types of pavement distress. Their study demonstrated that the terrestrial laser scanning technique may be effectively used in place of the so-far-used visual pavement condition survey methods, saving much time and effort.…”