초록 ▼

A pavement inspection apparatus 10 is described for inspecting the condition of a full lane of pavement using a vehicle capable of traveling along the lane at normal traffic speeds, such as 55 miles per hour. The apparatus is capable of determing the elevational profile of the pavement and the size

A pavement inspection apparatus 10 is described for inspecting the condition of a full lane of pavement using a vehicle capable of traveling along the lane at normal traffic speeds, such as 55 miles per hour. The apparatus is capable of determing the elevational profile of the pavement and the size and shapes of surface distress features such as longitudinal cracks, transverse cracks, aligator cracks, design cracks, potholes and rutting. The apparatus 10 has two video array cameras 36 and 40 that project downward onto the pavement with overlapping fields of view for generating X-Y pixel data representing the intensities of reflected light from a full lane width of pavement as the vehicle moves over the pavement. The cameras 36 and 40 are mounted at acute angles with respect to each other to enable an elevational profile to be developed for the pavement from correlated pixel data from the two cameras. The apparatus 10 includes distress feature analysis electronics for determining the size, shape and location of surface distress features and evaluates such features against preset values to determine the severity of the determined features. Additionally, the apparatus 10 has video array cameras 192 and 196 for determining the deflection of the pavement in response to the movement of a known wheel weight over the pavement.

대표청구항 ▼

Pavement inspection apparatus for inspecting and determining the surface condition of a length of pavement, comprising: a surface vehicle for moving over the length of the pavement being inspected; a pair of electromagnetic beam generators mounted on the vehicle for directing two spaced high intensi

Pavement inspection apparatus for inspecting and determining the surface condition of a length of pavement, comprising: a surface vehicle for moving over the length of the pavement being inspected; a pair of electromagnetic beam generators mounted on the vehicle for directing two spaced high intensity electromagnetic reference beams onto the pavement surface forming two horizontally spaced reference marks on the pavement surface that move over the surface as the vehicle is moved over the length of the pavement; a first video camera mounted on the surface vehicle projecting toward the pavement surface having a first field of view of a segment of the pavement surface containing the two reference marks for optically inspecting the pavement for surface defects; a second video camera mounted on the surface vehicle spaced from the first video camera and projecting onto the pavement surface at an acute angle with respect to the first video camera having a second field of view that has at least a portion in common with the first field of view containing the two reference marks for optically inspecting the pavement for surface defects; and video signal processing means operatively connected to the first and second video camera for determining the surface condition of the length of pavement travelled by the surface vehicle. In a pavement inspection apparatus for inspecting and determining the surface condition of a length of pavement, comprising: a surface vehicle for moving over the length of pavement being inspected; a pair of electromagnetic beam generators mounted on the surface vehicle for directing two spaced electromagnetic reference beams toward the pavement surface forming two spaced horizontal reference marks on the pavement surface as the surface vehicle moves over the length of pavement; a first video camera means mounted on the surface vehicle and directed toward the pavement surface having a first field of view of the pavement containing the two reference marks for progressively generating electrical pixel video output data containing information of the condition of the pavement as the surface vehicle moves over the length of pavement; surface to pixel calibration means operatively connected to the output of the first video camera for electrically monitoring the apparent horizontal distance between the two reference marks as observed by the camera as the vehicle moves over the length of pavement to calibrate the pixel data with surface distances and for determining any vertical movement of the camera with respect to the horizontal data reference plane and to modify the electrical pixel video output data in response to such vertical movement of the camera to substantially eliminate data errors caused by vertical movement of the camera with respect to the pavement surface, such as vehicle bounce; and video signal processing operatively connected to the first video camera for electronically processing the electrical pixel video output data containing information of the condition of the length of pavement travelled by the surface vehicle. Pavement inspection apparatus for determining the condition of a length of pavement, comprising: a wheeled vehicle for moving over a length of the pavement in a longitudinal direction; means on the wheeled vehicle for applying a preset vertical force through a wheel against the pavement to form a depression in the pavement beneath and extending rearward the wheel in a path travelled by the wheel as the vehicle is moved over the length of the pavement; reference means on the vehicle for determining the undeflected elevation of the pavement along the wheel path; a first wheel path video camera mounted on the vehicle having an X-Y field of view of the depression and extending rearward of the wheel for generating electrical video output data containing information of the deflected elevation of the depression at multiple sampling points in the X-Y field of view; and deflection determining means operatively connected to the reference means and the first wheel path video camera and responsive to the electrical video output data for determining the deflection of the pavement in the X-Y field of view along wheel path as the vehicle moves over the pavement.