High-Speed Automated Pavement Inspections

Background Currently, manual pavement rating surveys are expensive, have low output rates, are subjective, and are dangerous for drivers and surveyors. Furthermore, current automated systems have low coverage and speed, require off-line processing, and are expensive.

Invention Description This technology can be employed to find and classify cracks in pavement in accordance with the Pavement Management Information System (PMIS) and the American Association of State Highway Transport Officers (AASHTO). PMIS data includes transverse, longitudinal, and alligator cracking, while AASHTO data includes crack density information. Also, this automated system provides the actual number of transverse cracks, longitudinal cracks, spalled cracks, and punch-outs. Finally, this technology can record the analytical information and provide an accompanying snapshot of the pavement.

Benefits

Objective Automated High-speed Repeatable Multi-functional Simple setup Real-time process Full coverage Low cost Safe

Features

Line scan camera High-speed frame grabber Computer Linear lighting device Custom-design software Works on non-rainy days and nights

Market Potential/Applications This technology can be utilized for batch concrete and asphalt surface analyses by the Department of Transportation, the Department of Defense and the airline industry.

IP Status One U.S. patent application filed

UT Researcher Bugao Xu, Ph.D., Human Ecology, The University of Texas at Austin Yaxiong Huang, Ph.D., Human Ecology, The University of Texas at Austin

Type of Offer: Licensing



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