Description of Profilers

A brief description of the profiling equipment and techniques employed for the study is presented in this section prior to describing details of the actual measurements made at each site.

3.5.1 Lightweight Profilers

A brief description of each of the four lightweight profilers employed is provided in the following subsections. Fourteen critical profiler characteristics are provided with a picture of each device.

3.5.1.1 Ames Engineering Incorporated

Figure 3-1 is a picture of the LISA device manufactured by Ames Engineering Incorporated.

Profiler Name : Ames Lightweight Profiler (LISA)

Method of data collection : Accelerometer, Laser and Distance Measurement equipment Classification: Class 1 road profiler devices ( according to ASTM E950-94)

Indices: International Roughness index (IRI), Profile Index (PI), Ride Number (RN) in in/mi or mm/km.

Sampling rate: 1 inch Storage Interval:

Wavelengths : 1.8 – 120 feet Sensor Resolution: 0.001 inch Distance Accuracy:

Controls : Pentium, 133 Mhz, IBM compatible Speed : 8 -12 miles/hour

Vehicle Used : John Deere 4 wheel Gator

Bump identification: Must Grind Locations can be identified Additional Features : Start-Stop Triggering and Lead-in

Figure 3-1 Ames Engineering Incorporated Lightweight Profiler

3.5.1.2 International Cybernetics Corporation

Figure 3-2 is a picture of the Mobile Data Recording System manufactured by International Cybernetics Corporation.

Profiler Name : Mobile Data Recording System

Method of data collection : Accelerometer, Laser and Distance Measurement equipment Classification: Class 1 road profiler devices ( according to ASTM E950-94)

Indices: International Roughness index (IRI), Profile Index (PI), Ride Number (RN) in in/mi or mm/km.

Sampling rate: 1 inch

Storage interval: 1 inch

Wavelengths : 1.8 – 1000 feet Sensor Resolution: 0.001 inch Distance accuracy: 0.1%

Controls : MDR-4080 Road Profiler Family Mobile Data Recorder Speed : up to 40 miles/hour

Vehicle Used : Laser mounted on an ATV

Bump identification: Must Grind Locations can be identified Additional Features : Start-Stop Triggering and Lead-in

Figure 3-2 International Cybernetics Corporation Lightweight Profiler

3.5.1.3 K J Law Engineering

Figure 3-3 is a picture of the T6400 Lightweight Profilometer manufactured by K J Law Engineering.

Profiler Name : T6400 Lightweight Profilometer

Method of data collection : Accelerometer, Laser and Distance Measurement equipment Classification: Class 1 road profiler devices ( according to ASTM E950-94)

Indices: International Roughness index (IRI), Profile Index (PI), Ride Number (RN) in in/mi or mm/km.

Sampling rate: 1 inch

Storage interval: 6 inch / 1 inch if required Wavelengths:

Sensor Resolution: 0.001 inch Distance accuracy: 0.1%

Controls : IBM compatible PC with state-of-the-art CPU Speed : 10 – 25 miles/hour

Vehicle Used :T6400 mounted on a Kawasaki Mule

Bump identification: Must Grind Locations can be identified Additional Features : Start-Stop Triggering and Lead-in

Figure 3-3 K J Law Engineering Lightweight Profilometer

3.5.1.4 Pathway Services Incorporated

Figure 3-4 is a picture of the PathRunner Lite manufactured by Pathway Services Incorporated.

Profiler Name : PathRunner LITE

Method of data collection : Accelerometer, Laser and Distance Measurement equipment Classification: Class 1 road profiler devices ( according to ASTM E950-94)

Indices: International Roughness index (IRI), Profile Index (PI), Ride Number (RN) in in/mi or mm/km.

Sampling rate: 1 inch Storage interval: 1 inch

Wavelengths : 1 - 300 feet Sensor Resolution: 0.001 inch Distance accuracy: 0.1% per mile

Controls : PCMC1A Based Pentium II PC Computer System Speed : 5 - 20 miles/hour

Vehicle Used : PathRunner LITE mounted on golf cart Bump identification: Must Grind Locations can be identified Additional Features : Start-Stop Triggering and Lead-in

Figure 3-4 Pathway Services Incorporated Lightweight Profiler

3.5.2 INDOT RIP VAN Inertial High Speed Profiler Figure 3-5 is a picture of the Rip Van manufactured by INDOT.

Profiler Name : RIP Van

Indices : International Roughness Index (IRI) and Rut-Depth.

Method of data collection : Accelerometer, Laser and Distance Measurement equipment Classification: Class 1 road profiler devices ( according to ASTM E950-94)

Distance measurement : Arthur Allen model # AA-1422-20 hall-effect transducer

Profile measurement : Both left and right wheel paths possible as one accelerometer and one opticator have been placed in both wheel paths

Sampling Rate : Storage Interval : Wavelengths:

Sensor Resolution:

Distance Accuracy:

Controls:

Speed:

Sensitivity of accelerometer : ± 2g Vehicle Used : 1986 GMC van

Typical Use – High Speed, Network Level PMS

Operational Characteristics : Speed, lead-in, data collection

Figure3-5 INDOT Rip Van- High Speed Profiler

3.5.3 California Profilograph

A California Profilograph manufactured by Ames Engineering as depicted in Figure 3-6 was used. It was a manual device owned and operated by INDOT. The profilograph was developed in 1986. The system consists of a total of six wheels used to support each end of the device. However instead of using a truss type framework (which all the other profilographs use), the 25 ft beam portion of the Ames device is a 2in by 6in aluminium box channel. A profile wheel is located at its midpoint, and a non-contact ultrasonic transducer system transmits movement of the profile wheel to a recorder located at the rear end of the unit. It provides strip chart output at the end of the run showing the profilogram trace. The device was tested and certified by the INDOT

Division of Materials and Tests prior to its use on this project. Experienced INDOT personnel conducted the tests with this device in order to increase the accuracy of the measurement.

Figure 3-6 California Profilograph (Manufacturer Ames Engineering Inc.)

3.5.4 Precision Survey

A three-wire precision rod and level survey was performed at Site 1. A Sokkisha micrometer level was used for the survey along with a precision-scaled rod. The use of this instrument made it possible to achieve the required precision of 0.0005 inch (0.0125mm) stated in ASTM E1364-95. The survey was conducted in accordance with the same ASTM standard. Measurements were obtained at 12 inches (0.3m) longitudinal increments over a length of approximately five hundred forty-eight feet (167m). At each

station three reading were obtained; top-wire, middle-wire, and bottom-wire. This method along with calculations acted as a check for each reading such that errors in both elevation readings and note taking would be avoided. This was important because this type of survey is very tedious. A temporary benchmark was established to ensure closure of the level loop. The manually recorded data were entered in Microsoft Excel for plotting.