Spatial representation of GPR data—accuracy of asphalt layers thickness mapping

Abstract

Information on pavement layer thickness is very important for determining bearing ca-pacity, estimating remaining life and strengthening planning. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a nondestructive testing (NDT) method used for determining the continuous pavement layer thickness in the travel direction. The data obtained with GPR in one survey line is suitable for the needs of repair and rehabilitation planning of roads and highways, but not for wider traffic areas such as airfield pavements. Spatial representation of pavement thickness is more useful for airfield pavements but requires a 3D model. In the absence of 3D GPR, a 3D model of pavement thickness can be created by additional processing of GPR data obtained from multiple survey lines. Five 3D models of asphalt pavements were created to determine how different numbers of survey lines affect their accuracy. The distance between survey lines ranges from 1 to 5 m. The accuracy of the 3D models is determined by comparing the asphalt layer thickness on the model with the values measured on 22 cores. The results, as expected, show that the highest accuracy is achieved for the 3D model created with a distance of 1 m between survey lines, with an average relative error of up to 1.5%. The lowest accuracy was obtained for the 3D model created with a distance of 4 m between the survey lines, with an average relative error of 7.4%.