Toward the Development of Load Transfer Efficiency Evaluation of Rigid Pavements by a Rolling Wheel Deflectometer

The jointed rigid pavement is currently evaluated by the Falling weight deflectometer which is rather slow for the testing of the jointed pavements. Continuous nondestructive evaluation of rigid pavements with a rolling wheel deflectometer can be used to measure the load transfer and is investigated. Load transfer is an important indicator of the rigid pavement's condition and this is the primary factor which is studied. Continuous data from experimental measurements across a joint allows for the determination of not only the load transfer efficiency provided parameters characterizing the pavement is known. A three-dimensional semi-analytical model was implemented for simulating the pavement response near a joint and used for interpretation and verification of the experimental data. Results show that this development is promising for the use of a rolling wheel deflectometer for rapid evaluation of joints.