DAMAGE EVALUATION OF ROAD BY USING NUCLEAR GAUGE

Abstract

This research presents the concept to apply nuclear gauge in assessing road damage by using dry density from the nuclear gauge as a criterion for damage evaluation and determining maintenance activities for roads. The study is divided into two parts. The first part of the study is in laboratory testing by testing box. The objective of phase first is to simulate several forms of road structures using different materials and compare using backscatter (BS) and direct transmission (DT) methods to evaluate their accuracy and consistency. The result showed that backscatter method provided equally accurate and precise density readings likewise the direct transmission method. Additionally, the dry density readings varied depending on the type, thickness, and strength of the materials used, as well as whether they were single-layer or multi-layered. The second part of the study involved field testing on road case study to collect dry density readings from the nuclear gauge, as well as deflection (DEF) values obtained from the falling weight deflectometer (FWD). These data were used as reference values for studying the road sections. According to the result, the higher FWD values had lower structural strength and lower dry density readings, while those with lower FWD values had better structural strength and higher dry density readings. Thus, it can be concluded that the dry density readings obtained from the nuclear gauge correlate with the variable FWD values. Therefore, the study suggests that dry density readings can be used as a preliminary assessment tool for evaluating road damage.