Asphalt & Concrete Pavement Density Profiler

Uniform compaction of asphalt pavement is a key factor in increasing the life expectancy of a paved road.

“STUDIES INDICATE A 1 PERCENT INCREASE IN DENSITY CAN EXTEND THE ASPHALT PAVEMENT SERVICE LIFE BY AT LEAST 10 PERCENT.” –
Federal Highways Association (FHWA) and Asphalt Institute Workshop.

After asphalt pavement is laid down, the density is traditionally measured using point sampling methods such as coring, a nuclear density gauge, or a Pavement Quality Indicator (PQI).
Drilling core samples in newly paved roads is destructive, expensive and the results are not available in the field, taking days to get from a lab. Nuclear density gauges have safety regulations and training requirements that must be adhered to during operation. Further, all these traditional methods only measure at single points, leaving large gaps in the measurements and increasing the risk of areas in the pavement that fall outside the compaction quality requirements which, research has shown, leads to premature road failure.

The PDP Solution

The Pavement Density Profiler (PDP) instrument addresses the need to acquire density measurements of a large area quickly, in a non-invasive manner with timely results.
The PDP provides continuous profile capability that allows the variability of the asphalt pavement to be assessed over a complete area. Areas of high and low density can then be targeted for further investigation or corrective action.
The PDP works by transmitting a radio wave signal towards the ground surface and detects the reflected wave, measuring the electrical characteristic of the asphalt. The electrical information is then transformed to density for real-time, in-field results.

Powerful & Innovative PDP Features

Real-time output
Setup & Survey in minutes
No field calibration required
Collect point measurements or profiles
Turn multiple profiles into a map of pavement variability

PDP Features

Why Choose PDP?

	PDP	Core	Nuclear Density Gauge	Dielectric Gauge/PQI
Point Measurement	✓	✓	✓	✓
Profile Measurement	✓	✗	✗	✗
Area Measurement	✓	✗	✗	✗
Measurement Time	<0.1 s profiling	Days	30 to 60 seconds in 2 orientations	Seconds
Non-Contact Sensor	✓	✗	No	No
Non-Hazardous	✓	✓	✗	✓
Training Requirements	Minimal	✓	Extensive: Nuclear Materials Handling Course	Minimal
License-free	✓	✓	✗	✓
Unlimited Transportation	✓	✓	✗	✓
Additional Considerations	None	Random cores are not an accurate representation of the pavement	Gauge needs strict regular maintenance, proper transport and storage	Needs clean, dry and smooth contact surface

PDP – Operating Modes

Stationary

Measure pavement properties at a single location using thousands of measurements at one point. Instantly get access to PDF reports with plots and statistics with a single click.

asphalt pavement road condition assessment

GPR Report

Report

Profile

Collect measurements at regular intervals along a survey line and see the variation in pavement properties in real-time.

Area Mapping Display

Combine profile measurements to generate a map of asphalt pavement uniformity to see the condition of paved roads and identify areas that require further investigation and remediation.