Real-time quantification of surface roughness of concrete pavements under construction

초록

In Korea, the International Roughness Index (IRI) is used as the primary standard for smoothness acceptance before opening to traffic. Failure to meet this criterion often requires corrective grinding or resurfacing, which increases both costs and construction delays. Therefore, this paper presents the development of a Concrete-Pavement Profiler System, which allows for real-time IRI calculation and simultaneous calibration to mitigate noise and outliers during construction of concrete pavement. The system integrates distance sensors and an RTK-based Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) installed on a slipform paver to continuously measure wheel-path profiles. The obtained time-domain data were transformed into frequency-domain data via fast Fourier transform and subjected to low-pass filtering to eliminate high-frequency noise, with emphasis on low-frequency signals that represent actual surface-profile changes. Subsequently, a GNSS synchronized time-based profile measurements with spatial coordinates, thereby calculating the IRI accuracy. Additionally, the moving-average method and profile change rate was applied to remove the residual noise and outliers. A field application on a continuously reinforced concrete pavement section demonstrated that the calibrated IRI values closely matched those obtained with a walking profiler after hardening. These results indicate that real-time IRI monitoring during construction enables timely corrective actions before concrete sets, thereby improving initial smoothness control.

키워드