WINDSHIELD SURVEYS OF HIGHWAY CONDITION: A FEASIBLE INPUT TO PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT

The procedure used by the New York State Department of Transportation to collect highway condition data by using an in-motion windshield survey is described. The windshield survey is performed by road rating teams from the department's regional offices. Cost is about $50,000 for the 16,000-mile system or about $3.12/mile. Rating is done with carefully developed photograph scales in which photographs show not specific distress signals but rather general impressions of roads at various condition levels. Periodic training ensures consistency in assessing highway condition, and this decentralized approach permits a rapid data collection effort at a low cost to the agency. Also presented are the many uses of these data in the state's pavement management activity, both as a network-level condition-assessment process and as a screening process to identify sections of highway that require further engineering analysis. The conclusion is that windshield surveys conducted in accordance with the outlined rating methods can provide pavement managers with a current and reliable assessment of network-level highway condition and point to possible problem sections that require more detailed analysis. Low costs, speed of delivery of data, and avoidance of expensive measuring devices are also significant advantages of the method.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1983/938/938-009.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=WINDSHIELD+SURVEYS+OF+HIGHWAY+CONDITION%3A+A+FEASIBLE+INPUT+TO+PAVEMENT+MANAGEMENT&author=D.+Hartgen&author=J.+Shufon&publication_year=1983
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Monitoring, Evaluation, and Data Storage. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Hartgen, David T
  • Shufon, John J
• Publication Date: 1983

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 73-81
• Monograph Title: Pavement management and evaluation
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 938
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Data collection; Defects; Evaluation; Networks; Pavement distress; Pavement management systems; Pavements; Photographs; Ratings; Roads; Surveys; Training; Windshields
• Uncontrolled Terms: Pavement conditions; Road networks
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Design; Education and Training; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00387129
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309036542
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Aug 30 1984 12:00AM