The measurement and analysis of road surface roughness

Abstract

This report describes the design and development of a device which records the profiles of roads in a form suitable for statistical analysis. The device, installed in a normal saloon car, is capable of recording road surface profile data over the entire range of wavelengths of likely interest to automobile engineers at such a speed as not to disrupt normal traffic flow. The device has been used to conduct a survey of roads in Britain, France, Belgium and West Germany. The data obtained are presented in the report and have led to the development of a system of classification of road surfaces and enabled an insight to be gained into the effects of methods of construction and the usage of roads. The data are also being used for the prediction of the response of vehicles using these roads (A).