Recent national surveys have placed pavement smoothness as the most important thing for motorists. Major changes are coming in pavement smoothness technology, measurement and acceptance, led by the implementation of the Inertial Profiler in California.

2.  Free from projections or unevenness of
surface; not rough: Smooth wood; A
smooth road.
 Generally flat or unruffled : A calm sea.
 Free from or proceeding without abrupt
curves, bends, etc. : A smooth ride.
 Allowing or having an even, uninterrupted
movement or flow : Smooth driving.
 Free from hairs or a hairy growth: A smooth
cheek.

8.  Eye witness – Fingerprints – DNA
 Observations – stop watch – laser timing

9.  Verbal directions – sketches –
hand drawn maps –
standardized maps –
GPS – SIRI
 4 track – 8 track – cassette – CD –
DVD – Blu-Ray

10. • Chew test – Penetration Grading –
Aged Residue (AR) absolute viscosity –
Performance Graded binders PG
• Trinidad asphalt
• Density - Sand Cone –
Balloon –
Nuclear Gage

11. • 10 wheelers – Trucks and pups – trucks and
transfers – Live bottoms – Strong arms – Super
10’s
• Batch Plants – Continuous mix plants – drum
drier plants

12. • Conventional – asbestos modified –
latex modified – polymer modified
• Macadam – Conventional –
Stone Matrix – Super Pave
• Cold Mix –
Hot mix – Warm mix

13. Perception v Precision
 1956 Cadillac v 2014 Cadillac
 Bone shaker v balloon tires
 Trail bike v 10 speed road bike
 18 wheeler v VW Bus

16.  Transition to Equipment placement

17.  Mud to Gravel to Pavement
› Holes and washboard
› Potholes
› Ride Quality

18.  Paved roads
 Smooth pavements

19.  Travel speeds increase
 Suspension designs change
 Tolerance changes

20.  Original smoothness
› Vehicle can traverse the route
without significant risk of damage
to the undercarriage/drive train
 Current Ride Quality
› Actual user perception
 Do not spill your $5 latte
 Long term pavement
performance

21.  When Men were Men

28.  Circa 1940

31.  Profile Index
› 0.2 inch blanking band
› 0.0 inch (Zero) blanking band
Must Grinds
› 0.3 inches in 25 feet

33. Comfortable ride
 Better Roads
› Last longer,
› Stay smoother longer,
› Safer,
› Save money

34. Actual Profile
Profilograph Trace
Dip
Dip
Phantom
Bumps

35. The Profilograph may not accurately measure the pavement profile.

36. Front
Mount
Rear
Mount
Side Mount

38. 38

39.  International Roughness Index (IRI)
› Computer Algorithm
 Areas of Localized Roughness (aka “must
grinds”)
› Isolated areas of roughness

41.  Profile Index
› 0.2 inch blanking band
› 0.0 inch (Zero) blanking band
 Must Grinds
› 0.3 inches in 25 feet

42. 42
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225
Distance (feet)
IRI (in/mi)
25-foot
sliding
window

43. 43

44. The site is located in the median of
Interstate 80 at the Sacramento
Regional Transit Light Rail station
(Watt/I-80) parking lot.
44
Two test sections (asphalt and
concrete)

45. University of California Pavement Research
Center with the assistance of the Pavement
Program and METS will administer
calibration program
Calibration tests will be conducted 2 to 4
times per year (March, May and July for
2014)

46.  Block Test
› AASHTO R57-10, Section 5.3.2.3.1
› This test will be conducted on a relatively flat
and level area
› It’s purpose is to check the height
measurements from the height sensor(s) of
the test vehicle using blocks of known heights
(i.e. 0.5 inch, 1.0 inch, 2.0 inch).
46

47.  Bounce Test
› AASHTO R57-10, Section 5.3.2.3.2
› It’s purpose is to ensures that the data from
the height sensor and accelerometer are
legitimate and being properly combined to
compute the longitudinal elevation profile
47

48.  Distance Measurement Index Test
› AASHTO R56-10, Section 8.4
› Tests accuracy of profilers distance
measurement instrument (DMI)
48

49.  Inertial Profiler must be certified within the
last 12 months
 Profiler Operator must be certified within
the last 12 months
 Contractors must obtain certification from
the California Certification Site

50. MRI for each 0.1 mile section of a
lane

51.  “Must Grinds” are now defined as “Areas of
Localized Roughness”
 Areas of localized roughness uses a continuous
IRI for each wheel path with a 25 ft interval
 Areas of localized roughness that exceed
120(160) in/mile must be corrected regardless of
the IRI values of a 0.1 mile section
51

52.  Caltrans will independently collect profile data
 For each 0.1 mile section, the contractor’s IRI
values must be within 10 percent of Caltrans’ IRI
values
52

53.  Collects data at a high rate of
speed (approx. 30 mph to 60
mph)
 Collects data for both wheel
paths simultaneously
 No traffic control
Safer
 $$$$ Savings

54.  Free from projections – not rough, a
smooth road
 Free from abrupt curves – smooth ride
 Even, uninterrupted movement – smooth
driving

56. 56
Smoothpavements.com (FHWA)
Roadprofile.com (ProVAL)
CT Pavement Website
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/maint/Pavement/Of
fices/Pavement_Engineering/Smoother_Paveme
nts.html
Equipment Suppliers
Ames Engineering (amesengineering.com)
Dynatest (dynatest.com)
Surface Systems and Instruments
(Smoothroad.com)