30 Oct 2024

Development of an Inertial Profiler Specification for Airfield Pavement Construction

Abstract: The US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) developed a test method and specification for measuring the smoothness of newly constructed airfield pavements using the inertial profiler. The limitations inherent in the currently accepted measurement system, the California-type profilograph, are detailed in this report. The effort detailed herein draws attention not only to the superior repeatability of the inertial profiler but also to the device’s ability to report true surface profile more accurately than the California-type profilograph. Correlations were drawn between the two devices with high (greater than 0.8) goodness-of-fit, and recommendations were made pertaining to the use of inertial profilers in place of California-type profilographs. These recommendations were not only founded on the data collected and analyzed in this effort but are also consistent with the current state of practice for other federal agencies, such as the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Highway Administration.