Field and laboratory stress-wave measurements of asphalt concrete

•A 48 MEMS sensor array, providing clear surface wave data, is presented.•Good fit between laboratory and non-contact field measurement regarding stiffness.•Non-contact field measurements showing high repeatability.

Non-contact surface wave measurements are performed on a new asphalt concrete (AC) pavement using 48 micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensors as receivers to estimate the real part of the dynamic moduli of the AC top layer. Laboratory measurements of core samples, extracted from the field measurement positions, are used to construct master curves for comparison with the field measurements. The real parts of the dynamic moduli from the two test methods are consistent at the field measurement temperatures, and the non-contact field measurements are highly repeatable. These results indicate a possible application for quality assurance of AC based on mechanical properties.