---
title: "Pavement evaluation"
subject: "Transportation Engineering II"
chapter: 4
key: "semester_7/transportation_engineering_ii:pavement-evaluation-explain"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/transportation_engineering_ii/pavement-evaluation-explain
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Pavement evaluation

Transportation Engineering II · Chapter 4: Highway Maintenance, Repair, and Rehabilitation

- Asked in: 2070 Chaitra (old course), 8 marks
- Video: [Pavement Evaluation - Transportation Engineering - I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVcCA2AhLno) — Ekeeda
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/transportation_engineering_ii/pavement-evaluation-explain
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/transportation_engineering_ii/chapter-4

## Question

Explain pavement evaluation.

## Short answer

Pavement evaluation systematically assesses surface condition and structural capacity to decide maintenance needs. It includes functional tests (roughness, skid resistance, distress) and structural tests (deflection, cores, DCP).

## Answer

**Pavement evaluation** is the systematic collection and analysis of data on the present condition of a pavement (surface and structure), so that the need for maintenance, strengthening or reconstruction can be decided and priorities set.

**Functional evaluation** (ride quality and safety)
- **Roughness** - measured by bump integrator, MERLIN, Roadroid (smartphone) or profilometer, and expressed as the International Roughness Index (IRI, m/km); IRC:SP:16 gives evenness limits, and Nepal DoR uses roughness in its road maintenance management system.
- **Skid resistance** - pendulum tester (British Pendulum Number), skid trailer.
- **Surface distress** - visual condition survey of cracks, potholes, rutting, ravelling, bleeding and patching (IRC:82 and the Nepal DoR condition survey).

**Structural evaluation** (load capacity)
- **Deflection tests** (non-destructive) - Benkelman beam (IRC:81), Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD), Lacroix deflectograph.
- **Destructive tests** - test pits and cores to find layer thickness, density and subgrade CBR; Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) for in-situ strength.
- **Other tests** - Ground Penetrating Radar (layer thickness, non-destructive), plate load test on exposed layers, and back-calculation of layer moduli from FWD data.

**Use**: the results give a condition index, which is combined with traffic to select the treatment: routine maintenance, periodic maintenance, overlay (strengthening) or reconstruction.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. Which group of tests belongs to FUNCTIONAL pavement evaluation?
   A. Benkelman beam, FWD and test pits
   B. Roughness, skid resistance and surface distress survey
   C. DCP, plate load test and GPR
   D. Core cutting and subgrade CBR
   Answer: B. Functional evaluation covers ride quality and safety: roughness, skid resistance and surface distress. The others are structural tests. (Key point: Functional vs structural)

2. Which is a deflection test used for structural evaluation?
   A. British pendulum tester
   B. Bump integrator
   C. Benkelman beam
   D. MERLIN
   Answer: C. Benkelman beam (IRC:81), FWD and deflectograph measure deflection under load. Pendulum is for skid, bump integrator and MERLIN are for roughness. (Key point: Deflection tests)

3. What is the final use of pavement evaluation results?
   A. To choose the treatment by combining a condition index with traffic
   B. To fix the original design CBR
   C. To decide the pavement colour
   D. To measure only the IRI
   Answer: A. The condition index is combined with traffic to select routine/periodic maintenance, overlay or reconstruction. (Key point: Use of results)

## Related in Transportation Engineering II

- [Pavement evaluation; flexible failure types and causes](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftransportation_engineering_ii%3Apavement-evaluation-flexible-failure-causes) — Transportation Engineering II, chapter 4
- [Maintenance, rehabilitation, reconstruction; evaluation methods](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftransportation_engineering_ii%3Amaintenance-rehab-reconstruction-pavement-evaluation) — Transportation Engineering II, chapter 4
- [Structural evaluation methods; overlay from deflection](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftransportation_engineering_ii%3Astructural-evaluation-deflection-overlay-1-5) — Transportation Engineering II, chapter 4