LTPP Program Introduces New Distress Identification Manual
The fourth version of the Distress Identification Manual for the
Long-Term Pavement Performance Program (Publication No. FHWA-RD-03-031)
is now available, providing expert guidance on identifying and describing
cracks, potholes, rutting, spalling, and other pavement distresses.
The manual is divided into three sections that focus on asphalt concrete
(AC), jointed concrete pavements (JCP), and continuously reinforced
concrete pavements (CRCP). These three sections contain photos of the
various pavement distresses, ranging from fatigue cracking to joint
seal damage to scaling, each clearly labeled and described. Ten years
of practical experience gained using the previous version of the manual
are reflected in the new edition, which incorporates many refinements
and changes.
The Distress Identification Manual was originally issued in 1987 to
provide a consistent, uniform basis for collecting distress data for
the new Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program. Since 1987, the
LTPP program has partnered with States and Provinces on a series of
long-term field experiments monitoring more than 2,400 asphalt and portland
cement concrete (PCC) pavement test sections across the United States
and Canada. The information gathered will allow pavement engineers to
design better, longer-lasting roads.
“About half of all States use the Distress Identification Manual
to some extent, with many of them getting the most use out of the distress
definitions section,” notes Bill Bellinger of FHWA. “It
is an excellent reference.”
The manual can also play an important role in a highway agency’s
pavement management program by helping to standardize the terminology
used in pavement management reports. And colleges and universities can
use it as a pavement distress dictionary for highway engineering courses.
The publication’s appendixes include a “Manual for Distress
Surveys,” which contains guidelines on collecting LTPP data and
sample data collection sheets. Also included is a “Manual for
Faultmeter Measurements,” which describes how to use the Georgia
Digital Faultmeter. The faultmeter is a hand-held device that measures
faulting—the vertical displacement at joints—in PCC pavements
and the drop-off between the pavement surface and the adjacent shoulder
surface.
The new Distress Identification Manual can be downloaded from the LTPP
Web site at www.tfhrc.gov/pavement/ltpp/reports/03031/index.htm.
Printed copies are available from the FHWA Research and Technology Report
Center at 301-577-0818 (email: Report.Center@fhwa.dot.gov).
Copies will also be distributed at the Transportation Research Board
Annual Meeting in January 2004. For more information, contact Bill Bellinger
at FHWA, 202-493-3156 (email: william.bellinger@fhwa.dot.gov).
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Articles in this issue:
National Center for Pavement Preservation Opens in Michigan
Moving Ahead with Context Sensitive Solutions in South Carolina
Going Beyond Theory at the Fifth National Conferences on Asset Management
LTPP Program Introduces New Distress Identification Manual
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