RECOMMENDATIONS ON BUILDING A PAVEMENT LAYER DATABASE FOR TXDOT

An accurate reliable pavement layer database (PLDB) is viewed as essential for the development of improved network and project-level pavement management applications within the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Very little layer thickness data is available within TxDOT's Pavement Management Information System. This severely impacts its capability to predict future performance and network funding requirements. In the districts, pavement layer information such as the surfacing thickness and the date of last surfacing is needed to assist with pavement rehabilitation decisions. For example, to interpret Falling Weight Deflectometer data, accurate layer thicknesses are required. While some of the data can be obtained from plans, the accuracy of plan thicknesses is often inadequate. In recent years TxDOT has initiated several internal efforts to establish a pavement layer database. Two districts, Houston and Brownwood, have already stored plan thickness information on a large portion of their networks. In this one-year feasibility study an evaluation is made of the accuracy of the existing databases in these districts, together with an assessment of the capability of using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) in the validation process. It was found that the plan sheets normally provide the adequate base information (although a few errors were found); however, they do not, in general, provide accurate information on the top layer thicknesses. It is concluded that the current system of using the existing plan sheets to generate the basic database is adequate, but this system must be updated with thickness information from both GPR and coring surveys. The GPR system has the additional benefit of being able to identify defects within the pavement structure. Once established, PLDB updates must become a routine operation upon any project's completion. Recommendations include action items for both short-term and long-term PLDB development.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Published November 1998; revised June 1999. Research project title: Investigation of Methods and Procedures for Populating a Pavement Layer Database.
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System, 1600 E Lamar Boulevard
  Arlington, TX  United States  76011

  Texas Department of Transportation

  Research and Technology Transfer Office, P.O. Box 5051
  Austin, TX  United States  78763-5051

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Scullion, T
• Publication Date: 1999-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 96 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accuracy; Databases; Ground penetrating radar; Pavement layers; Pavement management systems; Recommendations; Thickness; Validation
• Geographic Terms: Brownwood (Texas); Houston (Texas); Texas
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Pavements; Research; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I23: Properties of Road Surfaces;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00800301
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/TX-99/1779-1,, Research Report 1779-1,, TTI: 0-1779
• Contract Numbers: Project No. 0-1779
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Oct 27 2000 12:00AM