Pavement condition surveys are critical elements in pavement engineering. TRB hosted a webinar on Wednesday, April 7, 2021 from 1:00-3:00 PM Eastern that presented new developments in cracking protocol and standards. Presenters identified progress in the Pooled-Fund study, discussed a new artificial intelligence (AI)-based automated survey, and examined a drone-based unmanned survey method.

This webinar was organized by the TRB Standing Technical Committee on Pavement Condition Evaluation. It also features research from NCHRP Web-Only Document 288: Standard Definitions for Common Types of Pavement Cracking.

The recording is available.

Webinar agenda and presenters

1. Pavement surface condition data quality: Andy Mergenmeier, Federal Highway Administration
2. Drones for automated pavement survey: David Lee, University of Iowa
3. Pavement surface cracking metric and index: Michael Nieminen, International Cybernetics
4. Comparable cracking definitions in the age of AI: Kelvin Wang, Oklahoma State University
5. Question and answer session: Kelvin Wang, Oklahoma State University

The first 90 minutes of the webinar will be for presentations and the final 30 minutes will be reserved for audience questions.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Identify the differences between currently-used cracking definitions and how new technologies influence choice of metrics
2. Describe and implement cracking metrics that can be measured with high repeatability
3. Apply drone and AI technology in pavement condition surveys

Professional Development Hours

Professional Development Hours (PDHs) earned on completion of this program were reported to the Registered Continuing Education Program (RCEP). Certificates of Completion are issued to all participants via the RCEP.net online system. Complaints about registered providers may be addressed to RCEP, 1015 15th Street, NW, 8th Fl., Washington, DC, 20005.