Effective pavement temperature determination for improved falling weight deflectometer deflection correction in full-depth asphalt pavements

Abstract

Measuring pavement surface deflections using a falling weight deflectometer (FWD) is a common technique to assess structural conditions and guide pavement maintenance decisions. However, FWD deflections in flexible pavements are highly sensitive to temperature variations due to the viscoelastic nature of asphalt. An accurate analysis of these deflections requires adequate correction to a reference temperature, typically using the method outlined in the AASHTO 1993 design guide. Despite its widespread use, the specific input asphalt temperature for this correction is not well-defined. In this study, temperature sensors were installed at various depths in three full-depth asphalt pavement sections in Indiana (USA), allowing for the measurement of temperature gradients during FWD tests conducted at different times throughout the day. The study evaluated the accuracy of deflection corrections when using different temperature correction factors, calculated using measured temperatures at various depths following the AASHTO 1993 guidelines. The results demonstrate that using the pavement temperature at 100 mm depth provided more accurate deflection corrections than using surface or mid-depth temperatures in full-depth asphalt pavements.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

FWD / full-depth asphalt pavement / pavement structural evaluation / temperature correction / temperature gradients

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