Flexible pavement diagnosis methodology based on GPR assessment

Abstract

This paper presents best practices resulting from various experiments done with Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) for pavement assessment. It is intended to contribute for a better methodology to identify and validate pavement distresses and to correlate them with pavement structural condition. The approach presented herein is focused on the GPR information required for bearing capacity evaluation of pavements, namely to establish the structural model of the pavement for backcalculation based on loading tests. The use of both air- and ground-coupled antennas is addressed according to the testing purpose. The division of the pavement into homogeneous zones and the identification of local anomalies is addressed herein. Recommendations are presented and future perspectives are also herein referred.