Non-destructive evaluation of the structural state of asphalt pavements with geophones

Non-destructive evaluation of the structural state of asphalt pavements with geophones. Currently in Germany, methods used to assess the state of pavement bearing capacity rely solely on observations made at the surface. However, the bearing capacity of the pavements is influenced by the pavement structure and material properties, which means the current assessment is not comprehensive. The objective of this research project “In-Motion”, which is from the national road innovation program commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, is to determine and evaluate the structural state of asphalt pavements by means of different kinds of non-invasive and non-destructive methods. The approach was validated on the full scale pavement test facilities at the German Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt); on the test section, cyclic loads were applied by the Mobile Load Simulator (MLS10) to simulate structural damage processes of asphalt pavements. A systematic analysis of deflection measurements conducted with a moving load was used to draw conclusions about the bearing capacity of the asphalt pavement. The measured deflections were used to derive mechanically accurate structural material parameters. The back-calculation was carried out with the aid of the finite element method, whereby a realistic depiction of the respective load condition by moving loads was considered. The obtained results were used to develop an independent module which may serve as a conceptual enhancement for existing Pavement-Management-Systems due to a more realistic inclusion of in-situ characteristics of flexible pavements.