Laser Inspection of Road Conditions for Asset Management

3D Scanning & Machine Vision for Road Asset Management

Roads represent huge government investments and require strategic maintenance treatment s to keep and improve road structural strength and functional servicability above expected  levels. 

Having a cost effective maintenance strategy is the best way to conserve road infrastructure assets. Considering the resource constraints to carry out road maintenance, governments of all levels need to optimize the allocation of funds and resources and obtain the best return for investment in roads.

To do this, it essential to assess the roads’ condition accurately and in a timely manner. Conventional road surveys are costly, time-consuming, and can suffer from subjective bias. 

However, using a vehicle-mounted laser scanning and computer imaging system generates data in the form of images and measurements that can be saved and retrieved later. This allows various levels of government to not only reduce the cost of their data acquisition through using automated processes, but also to collect data more efficiently so that they can take decisions based on the most up-to-date state of road infrastructure assets. 

Avestron’s Multi-Function Intelligent Road Inspection System (IRIS) can collect high-precision 3D point cloud and grayscale data of the pavement surface conditions at the posted speed of any type of road.

Avestron Intelligent Road Inspection systems are powered by the Intellectual Property from ZOYON Science and Technology and manufactured by Avestron in Canada. The system consists of hardware instrumentation and real time software on the vehicle together with a analytic programs to process the image and laser data analytically and efficiently for assessment of road condition. The system detects most common distresses that are observed from the road surface. For example, transverse, longitudinal, and alligator or map cracks, potholes, pavement rutting and deformation, surface materials raveling, pavement edge cracks can be detected accurately. The system also provides quantitative measures of detected individual distresses, and it can be used to collect pavement condition data on all classified provincial highways and municipal or urban roads.

Vehicle Mounted Laser Scanner for Road Deterioration Detection

Vehicle mounted laser scanning for road defects
Laser scanning for road asset management

Vehicle Mounted Laser Scanner System Components

Module

Function

2D PAVEMENT IMAGE DETECTION

Using a high-definition 2D image of correlation-illumination eliminates interference caused by roadside assets and vehicle shadow. 
This module detects transverse cracks, longitudinal cracks, pits, loose, weeping, plate angle fracture, broken boards, squirt mud, peeling corners, holes, seams material damage, exposed, repair.

3D PAVEMENT IMAGE DETECTION

Creates a high-precision 3D point cloud of the pavement and subdues environmental disturbances such as natural lighting, shadow, oil stain etc.
This module detects transverse cracks, longitudinal cracks, pits, subsidence, rut, upheaval, loose, weeping, plate angle fracture, broken boards, squirt mud, dislocation, arch, peeling corners, holes, and patching.

CROSS SECTION DETECTION

Makes measurements with a width of 3.6 m (non-discrete point analog) with a detection accuracy of 0.1 mm based on sub-pixel segmentation technique.
This module detects rutting and longitudinal dislocation; and dynamically displays rut section, calculates rutting area.

VERTICAL SECTION DETECTION

Performs tests under complex road conditions such as sudden stop, sudden start, change speed, horizontal and longitudinal slope and turns. Analyzes the smoothness of the road based on the surface contour.
This module detects flatness, texture depth, road wear, and lateral dislocation.

ASSETS DETECTION

Counts the number of road assets using GPS based and binocular photogrammetry and generates high resolution true color images.
This module detects protective structure defects, separation fence damage, sign defects, marking line defects, poor management, and greening protection.

ROAD GEOMETRY DETECTION

Cross slope, longitudinal slope and curvature.

Module Features:

Make road safety analysis based on preset rule and road geometry data; Configure data output spacing according to customer needs.

PAVEMENT LAYER THICKNESS AND PIPELINE DETECTION

Pavement layer thickness and pipelines.
Module Features:

Provide matching radar and antenna according to the customer needs; Precisely match based on temporal detection data.

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION INFORMATION DETECTION

Latitude and longitude, altitude and station.

Module Features:

Based on road network level, space absolute positioning one meter; Based on the project level, space relative positioning of 0.5% Correct automatically in the whole kilometers.