Evaluation and Implementation of Automated Profilogram Reduction System: APPARE

Abstract

APPARE is a personal computer–based scanner and software system to aid in automated pavement profile analysis and roughness evaluation. The system was developed for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LDOTD) and the Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC). It analyzes the statistical properties of road-pavement profiles and reports their roughness according to indexes such as the international roughness index and the profile index. APPARE can process profilograms and other digitized road profiles. Field evaluation results conducted by LTRC and Districts 03, 04, and 62 of LDOTD on a total of 126.8 km (79.1 mi) of newly constructed pavements are reported. On the basis of these extensive test data and comparison of APPARE with alternatives, LDOTD recently decided to adopt APPARE as its standard profilograph test procedure for quality control and acceptance of newly constructed pavement. Statewide implementation of APPARE is under way, and a new profilograph test procedure, DOTD TR 641, is being developed by the Materials and Testing Section of LDOTD. The implementation was complete by the end of 1995. In addition, LTRC has moved that the blanking-band profile index be abolished and that the international roughness index evaluated by APPARE be used instead as the standard roughness index reported by a profilograph.