Evaluation of flexible pavements in India using an indigenous falling weight deflectometer

The use of a falling weight deflectometer (FWD) for the evaluation of pavements is gaining popularity in many countries, as it is possible to simulate the magnitude and duration of load applied by a fast moving vehicle on highways using this equipment. However, the use of FWD in India has been very limited so far because of its high cost and due to the difficulties encountered in maintaining the equipment. This paper presents the details of a FWD system designed and developed by the Transportation Engineering Section of the Civil Engineering Department of Indian Institute of Technology for structural evaluation of pavements. Salient features of backcalculation algorithm used in the evaluation system are presented. Details of structural evaluation of some highways carried out as a part of a research program sponsored by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORT & H), Government of India, are also given in the paper.