MPC Research Reports
Report Details

Title:	Factors Affecting the Accuracy of Road Profilers Measurements
Authors:	Khaled Ksaibati, Sanjay Asnani, and Thomas Adkins
University:	University of Wyoming
Publication Date:	Jul 1993
Report #:	MPC-93-20
Project #:	MPC-022
TRID #:	00636383
Keywords:	accuracy, environmental impacts, equipment, human error, measurement, profilometers, roughness, rutting

Abstract

This report describes a study conducted at the University of Wyoming to evaluate the various factors affecting the accuracy of Road Profilers measurements. Highway agencies across the U.S. use Road Profilers to measure roughness and rut-depth characteristics of pavements. These measurements are utilized by the Federal Highway Administration to assess the health of the national pavement network. Therefore, consistency in measurements among states is essential. This research was conducted to examine the different factors that affect consistency of roughness and rut-depth measurements. These factors included: errors caused by differences in equipment being used, human operators, and environmental conditions. In addition, the study involved comparing results from four commonly used rut-depth measurement techniques.