Feasibility Study of Measuring Concrete Joint Faulting Using 3D Continuous Pavement Profile Data

Faulting is one of the important performance measurements for jointed concrete pavements, as it has a direct impact on ride quality. Faulting has traditionally been measured manually using hand-held devices, such as the Georgia fault meter. However, manually measuring faulting on the roadways is labor intensive, time-consuming, and hazardous to workers and drivers. There is a need to develop alternative methods for effectively and safely collecting faulting data on each joint at highway speed. This paper proposes a new method to collect faulting data at highway speed using the 3D continuous pavement profile data acquired with emerging 3D laser technology and assesses its feasibility in field tests. While 3D continuous pavement profile data is initially used to detect asphalt pavement cracking and rutting, this paper further explores its use on concrete faulting measurement. Controlled field tests were conducted using artifacts with known elevation differences, and results show the proposed method can achieve desirable accuracy and repeatability with an absolute difference of less than 0.6 mm (0.024 inches) and a standard deviation of less than 0.4 mm (0.016 inches). Field tests were conducted on 15 joints on Interstate 16 (I-16) in Georgia, and preliminary results show that operating the proposed system at highway speeds (e.g. 100 km/hr) is feasible and has reasonable repeatability. Two tests have demonstrated the proposed method is very promising for providing an alternative solution to collect joint faulting data at highway speed. Recommendations for future research are also discussed.