PURPOSES: The objective of this study is to evaluate the structural capacity of asphalt pavement in subsurface cavity sections using falling weight deflectometer (FWD) backcalculation method. METHODS: It is necessary to analyze the reduction of structural capacity in asphalt pavements due to the occurrence of subsurface cavities. The FWD testing was conducted on the cavity and intact asphalt pavement in the city of Seoul. The GAPAVE, backcalculation program for FWD deflections, was utilized to determine the layer moduli in asphalt pavements. The remaining life of asphalt pavements in cavity sections were predicted using the pavement performance model for fatigue cracking. The backcalculated layer moduli between cavity and intact sections were compared to determine the reduction of structural capacity due to subsurface cavity. The relationship between the reduction of layer modulus and cavity depth/length was analyzed to estimate the effect of cavity characteristics on the structural capacity degradation. RESULTS: According to the FWD backcalculation results, the modulus of asphalt layer, subbase, and subgrade in cavity sections are generally lower than those in intact sections. In the case of asphalt layers, the backcalculated modulus in cavity section was reduced by 50% compared to intact section. A study for the prediction of remaining life of cavity section shows that the occurrence of subsurface cavity induces the decrease of the pavement life significantly. It is found that there is no close relationship between the backcalculated modulus and cavity length. However, the reduction of asphalt layer modulus is highly correlated with the cavity depth and was found to increase with the decrease of cavity depth. CONCLUSIONS : This reduction of structural capacity due to the occurrence of cavities underneath asphalt pavements was determined using FWD backcalculation analysis. In the future, this approach will be utilized to establish the criteria of road collapse risk and predict the remaining life of cavity sections under numerous varied conditions.

PURPOSES : This paper is aimed at suggesting a novel approach for determining the pavement condition rating based on the tire-surface friction noise using a machine learning algorithm as a low-end pavement condition monitoring system. METHODS : Vehicle on-board type noise measurement system according to the ISO11819-2, and the K-nearest neighbors with dynamic time warping algorithm were applied. The system and algorithm were empirically tested with a field study. RESULTS : The developed AI- and noise-based pavement condition monitoring system demonstrated significantly positive results with a precision 90.8%, recall 84.8%, and f1-score 86.1%. CONCLUSIONS: We herein confirmed that the acoustic property between the tire and road surface can be used for monitoring pavement conditions. It is believed this finding presented a new paradigm for monitoring pavement conditions based on visual information. However, extensive studies focused on the practical application of this method are required.

PURPOSES: Spalling is one of the primary problems that lead to the damage of concrete pavements. The purpose of the study is to analyze the impact range of spalling that occurred in an area of concrete pavement by applying a variety of nondestructive and destructive testing methods. METHODS: Spalling of the concrete pavement was categorized into four different sizes, 0 cm, 7.5 cm, 15 cm, and 30 cm. Nondestructive and destructive tests were performed at the point of spalling and 1 m away, respectively, and the obtained results were compared. The nondestructive tests included the electrical resistance test and the ultrasonic velocity test as well as strength tests by Schmidt hammer and concrete tester. The destructive tests included the direct compressive strength test and the chloride content test using field cored specimens. The test results helped in the analysis of the correlation between the current spalling damage condition and the expected damage acceleration. RESULTS: Based on the present study, the repair area and depth of spalling for a partial depth repair was suggested. It was also shown that the size of the spalling is highly correlated with the chloride content and the electrical resistance of the concrete pavement. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of spalling deterioration was found to be highly correlated with the chloride content and electrical resistance of the concrete pavement and based on the results, the extent of repair could be determined more quantitatively.

PURPOSES: The objective of this study is to evaluate and compare the stiffness characteristics and seasonal variation in surface deflections of block and asphalt pavements using the light weight deflectometer (LWD) and falling weight deflectometer (FWD). METHODS: LWD and FWD testing was conducted on block and asphalt pavement sections in a low-impact development facility, to evaluate the structural capacity and seasonal variation in asphalt pavements. To analyze the seasonal variation in stiffness characteristics, this testing was performed in October 2016, January 2017, and March 2017 in the same drop locations. RESULTS : It was found from that the average center deflections in the asphalt and block pavements were 218 ㎛ and 2974 ㎛, respectively. The center deflections measured using FWD testing in block pavement are 15 times those measured in asphalt pavement. It was also observed that LWD deflections in block pavements were decreased by approximately 65-90% as the air temperature dropped from 20 to 4℃. The degree of reduction in block pavement was significantly higher when compared with asphalt pavement, which showed a 25- 50% reduction in deflection. CONCLUSIONS: When using block pavements for roadways, the structural capacity of the pavement system should be considered during the design and construction stages. In block pavements, the use of low-quality material and insufficient compaction in the base and subgrade layers can induce a reduction in structural capacity, which would lead to the need for frequent repair work. A reinforcement underneath the block layer would be an appropriate measure for improving the structural support and extending the service life.