Evaluating the Effectiveness of Pavement Smoothness Specifications

摘要

The report describes a study jointly conducted by the University of Wyoming andthe Wyoming Department of Transportation to examine if the initial roughness of a pavement section has any effects on its long-term performance. State Highway Agencies throughout the United States use smoothness specifications to insure they are providing the public with quality roads. Some State Highway Agencies go so far as to provide monetary incentives to contractors for building smoother roads. Very little work has been done to determine if the effectiveness of such incentive policies. Statistical and graphical analysis were performed on asphalt and concrete test sections in Wyoming. The findings of this study indicate that the intial roughness of concrete pavements based on the Profilograph Index do not correlate with the long-term performance of these pavements. However, initial roughness measurements based on the International Roughness Index do correlate with future roughness measurements.