Pavement crack detection using high-resolution 3D line laser imaging technology

Abstract

With the advancement of 3D sensor and information technology, a high-resolution, high-speed 3D line laser imaging system has become available for pavement surface condition data collection. This paper presents preliminary results of a research project sponsored by the U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Research and Innovation Technology Administration (RITA) and the Commercial Remote Sensing and Spatial Information (CRS&SI) technology program. The objective of this paper is to validate the capability of 3D laser pavement data gathered during an automated pavement survey. An experimental test, using continuous profile-based laser data collected from Georgia State Route 80 and 275, was conducted to evaluate the performance of 3D line laser imaging technology. Based on the experimental results, the 3D laser pavement data are robust under different lighting conditions and low-intensity contrast conditions and have the capability to deal with different contaminants on a pavement's surface. It can support an accurate crack width measurement, which will contribute to further crack classification task. The 3D laser pavement data have a good capability to collect cracks that are greater than 2mm wide; however, the data resolution limits the detection of hairline cracks to approximately 1mm. The findings are crucial for transportation agencies to use when determining their automated pavement survey policies. Recommendations for future research are discussed in the paper. © RILEM 2012.