Design and verification of a laser based device for pavement macrotexture measurement

Pavement surface macrotexture greatly contributes to tire-pavement skid resistance which has a direct effect on traffic operation and safety particularly at high speeds. Therefore, efforts are needed to develop effective and practical devices to measure macrotexture profile. In this study, a practical laser device was developed, which is lightweight and portable with low cost. Following a critical review on existing devices, this paper outlines the hardware and software configurations of the proposed system. A comprehensive illustration on how the system works is presented to show a number of merits associated with the proposed device and accompanying analysis programs. Results from pilot testing experiments confirm that the proposed system provides efficient, reliable, accurate and consistent measurements for pavement surface profiles.

Research highlights
► A practical laser device for pavement macrotexture measurement.
► Obtain three groups of macrotexture parameters.
► Seven types of pavement surface employed in system verification.
► The device can provide efficient, reliable, accurate and consistent measurements.