Jan 28, 2014

A new ASTM International standard presents procedures for profilograph simulation programs currently in use by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Federal Highway Administration. The profilograph has become one of the most popular devices used for quality control in the construction of pavements, with many airfield and highway agencies adopting roughness indexes computed from profilographs as a measure of construction quality.

Collecting pavement profiles at walking speed can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, but emerging high-speed inertial profilers can simulate profilograph responses in less time, making roads and runways more accessible. ASTM E2955, Practice for Simulating Profilograph Response to Longitudinal Profiles of Traveled Surfaces, was developed by Subcommittee E17.33 on Methodology for Analyzing Pavement Roughness, part of ASTM International Committee E17 on Vehicle-Pavement Systems.

Injun Song, research engineer, SRA International Inc., and E17.33 chairman, says that ASTM E2955 will provide an easy and practical way to evaluate smoothness and rideability issues. “Any computer programmer or engineer who wants to add or create the simulation procedures to a program will follow this standard to expect the same simulation results,” says Song.

The new practice will provide information for the simulations including details on wheel spacing, recording wheel size and sample spacing. ASTM E2955 also includes links for available simulation programs, in addition to the background information for a simulation.

The following will be the primary users of ASTM E2955:

• Contractors collecting pavement surface profiles for both construction quality assurance and monitoring pavement conditions.
• Agencies involved with airfield pavement and highway pavement maintenance who want to simulate profilograph profiles.
• Computer programmers or engineers who want to add or create the simulation function to their programs.

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ASTM Committee E17 Next Meeting: June 15-16, 2014, State College, Pa.
Technical Contact: Injun Song, SRA International Inc., Linwood, N.J., Phone: 703-803-1500; injun_song@sra.com
ASTM Staff Contact: Rick Lake, Phone: 610-832-9689; rlake@astm.org
ASTM PR Contact: Barbara Schindler, Phone: 610-832-9603; bschindl@astm.org

Release #9579