Project Summary

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has a significant inventory of state-owned roads of which layer thickness and moisture related damage is uncertain. Discrete methods of assessment like coring and visual inspection provide limited data and are both time-consuming and costly in terms of traffic control and personnel. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficient use of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) at traffic speeds to determine layer thickness and moisture content of rural state-owned roads in the State. This will be accomplished through field studies of roads with both known and unknown compositions in close collaboration between URI and RIDOT researchers. The results will be incorporated into RIDOT’s GIS-based inventory of roads. The ultimate goal of this effort is to establish a system for collecting and viewing pavement layer thickness and moisture related damage
on a network level; information that RIDOT can use to better plan, prioritize and properly allocate funding for pavement related projects.