Knowledge‐Based System for Flexible Pavement Structural Evaluation
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 119, Issue 3
Abstract
Pavement deflection data are often used to evaluate pavement's structural conditions nondestructively. Pavement layers are characterized by their elastic moduli estimated from surface deflections through backcalculations. Results of various algorithmic backcalculation methods currently available are often dependent upon individual analyst's experience and judgments in supplying input parameters and they often do not agree with each other. Much of the empirical knowledge accumulated through decades of pavement research and practice has yet to be formalized to assist analytical backcalculations. To organize the various knowledge utilized by a human analyst to perform evaluation and to make nondestructive evaluation more accessible, a knowledge‐based system, Pavement Structural Evaluation System (PASELS), is developed. This rule‐based system can help provide rational estimation of pavement layer moduli and is particularly useful when algorithmic backcalculation methods do not give reasonable results. Although it still needs to be supervised by an experienced analyst and its performance is limited by the knowledge available in its knowledge base, such automated deflection analysis systems could greatly improve the efficiency of interpreting nondestructive test results.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
AASHTO guide for design of pavement structures. (1986). Vol. 3, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, D.C., 67–103.
2.
Bush, A. J.III, and Alexander, D. R. (1985). “Pavement evaluation using deflection basin measurements and layered elastic theory.” Transp. Res. Record 1022, 16–28.
3.
Chou, Y. J., Uzan, J., and Lytton, R. L. (1989). “Backcalculation of layer moduli from nondestructive pavement deflection data using an expert system approach,” Nondestructive testing of pavements and backcalculation of moduli, Special technical publication 1026, ASTM, Philadelphia, Pa., 341–354.
4.
Chou, Y. J., and Lytton, R. L. (1989). “Use of expert system in pavement structural evaluation.” Proc., Int. Conf. on Application of Advanced Technologies in Transportation Engineering, ASCE, New York, N.Y.
5.
Chou, Y. J., and Lytton, R. L. (1991). “Accuracy and consistency of backcalculated pavement layer moduli.” Transp. Res. Record 1293, 72–85.
6.
CLIPS reference manual, version 4.0. (1987). NASA, Houston, Tex.
7.
Hall, K. T., Darter, M. I., Carpenter, S. H., and Connor, J. M. (1987). “Development of a demonstration prototype expert system for concrete pavement evaluation.” Presented at the 66th Annual TRB meeting, Transp. Res. Board, Washington, D.C.
8.
Hoffman, M. S., and Thompson, M. R. (1982). “Backcalculating nonlinear resilient moduli from deflection data.” Transp. Res. Record 1007, 42–51.
9.
Lytton, R. L., and Smith, R. E. (1985). “Use of nondestructive testing in the design of overlays for flexible pavements.” Transp. Res. Record 1007, 11–20.
10.
Lytton, R. L. (1989). “Backcalculation of pavement layer properties.” Nondestructive testing of pavements and backcalculation of moduli, Special technical publication 1026, ASTM, Philadelphia, Pa.
11.
Lytton, R. L., Germann, F. P., Chou, Y. J., and Stoffels, S. M. (1990). “Determining asphaltic concrete pavement structural properties by nondestructive testing.” Nat. Cooperative Highway Res. Report 327, Transp. Res. Board, Nat. Res. Council, Washington, D.C.
12.
Molenaar, A. A. A., and Van Gurp, C. A. P. M. (1982). “Structural performance model and overlay design method for asphalt concrete pavements.” Transp. Res. Record 888.
13.
Peterson, G., and Shepard, L. W. (1972). “Deflection analysis of flexible pavements.” Materials and Test Division Report, Utah State Dept. of Transp.
14.
Shook, J. F., Finn, F. N., Witczak, M. W., and Monismith, C. L. (1982). “Development of the Asphalt Institute thickness design manual (MS‐1), Ninth Edition.” Research Report No. 81‐2 (RR‐81‐2), The Asphalt Inst., College Park, Md., 16.
15.
Smith, B. E., and Witczak, M. W. (1981). “Equivalent granular base moduli: Prediction.” J. Transp. Engrg., ASCE, 107(6).
16.
Smith, R. E., and Lytton, R. L. (1985). “Operating characteristics and user satisfaction of commercially available NDT equipment.” Transp. Res. Record 1007, 1–10.
17.
Ullidtz, P., and Stubstad, R. N. (1985). “Analytical‐empirical pavement evaluation using the falling weight deflectometer.” Transp. Res. Record 1022, 36–44.
18.
Ullidtz, P., Battiato, G., Larsen, B. K., and Stubstad, R. N. (1987). “Verification of the analytical‐empirical method of pavement evaluation based on FWD testing.” Proc. of the Sixth Int. Conf. on Structural Design of Asphalt Pavements, Vol. 1, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich., 521–532.
19.
Uzan, J., and Lytton, R. L. (1988). “General procedure for backcalculating layer moduli.” Nondestructive testing of pavements and backcalculation of moduli, Special technical publication 1026, ASTM, Philadelphia, Pa., 217–228.
20.
Wiseman, G., Uzan, J., and Greenstein, J. (1987). “Airfield pavement evaluation and strengthening based on NDT and aided by an expert system.” Proc. of the Sixth Int. Conf. Structural Design of Asphalt Pavements, Vol. 1, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
21.
Witczak, M. W. (1972). “Design of full depth asphalt airfield pavements.” Proc. of the Third Int. Conf. on the Structure Design of Asphalt Pavements, Ann Arbor, Mich., Vol. 1.
22.
Yoder, E. J., and Witczak, M. W. (1975). Principles of pavement design. 2nd Ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, N.Y.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
Copyright © 1993 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 8, 1992
Published online: May 1, 1993
Published in print: May 1993
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.