The Laser Road Surface Tester. Below: The Dynaflect.
The City of Long Beach is beginning a survey this week that will create a detailed analysis of all its roadways–including pavement distresses and determinations of load-bearing capacities–in an effort to develop long-term maintainence plans.
Paid for with $750,000 of one-time infrastructure funds allocated in the FY2014 budget, the project will use specialized vehicles and equipment to inventory, rate and obtain performance data on all city streets over the next three months.
The field surveys are completed in two phases, with the first requiring the use of a one-ton van called a Laser Road Surface Tester, which features five exterior mounted cameras and GPS receivers that measure and catalogue pavement roughness, rutting, cracking and other surface distresses.
The second phase will utilize a device called a Dynaflect, which uses deflection data to determine load-bearing capacities on arterial and collector roadways.
Together, the information obtained during the two phases will give the City a comprehensive view of the state of its streets, which officials say staff can use to analyze the data and determine more cost-effective, long-term infrastructure maintainence.
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