Acquisition of Non Destructive Testing Instrument for Pavement Engineering Research and Education

本提案要求拨款购买一套无损检测仪器，用于路面工程的研究和与研究相关的教育：一个下落重量偏转计（FWD）、一个探地雷达（GPR）和一个红外相机（IR相机）。这些仪器将由一个研究小组使用：伍斯特理工学院、Infrasense公司、马萨诸塞州港务局和缅因州交通部。拟议的仪器计划应用于公路和机场路面的非破坏性评价，开发测试方案，以确定现有和新材料的关键特性，并确定有效的设计，施工和质量控制方法。FWD对于估计已有层的模量是必要的。采用红外相机的探地雷达是确定路面层厚和利用FWD数据估计层模量所需条件信息的必要条件。所要求的仪器也将用于本科和研究生教育。使用这些仪器的一个例子是在一个正在进行的国家科学基金会项目中，在一个全尺寸仪器设施中确定交通下路面层的反应。本研究所得的资料将用于路面分析与设计原理的研究、教学，以及无损检测的使用。项目的总成本约为所需仪器成本的十倍，潜在的成本效益比非常高。所要求的仪器对于开发研究团队当前和未来研究项目的无损检测能力至关重要。这种能力将使研究人员能够为民用和军事组织使用的公路和机场路面领域的新知识的发展作出重大贡献。智力优势：提出的项目旨在无损检测原理的实际应用，并将直接提高对概念和应用的理解。更广泛的影响：这项工作将导致在理解材料特性和使用无损检测材料表征方面取得重大进展。它将使所有群体和种族的学生都能在学校了解无损检测的原则和应用，并将为残疾学生消除障碍。因此，建议的项目将导致产生新的知识和训练学生，从而对社会有很大的好处。项目材料将通过报告、会议和期刊出版物传播。

This proposal requests funding for the acquisition of a set of Non Destructive Testing instruments, which will be used for research and research related education in pavement engineering: A Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD), a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), and an infrared camera (IR camera). The instruments will be used by a research team: the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Infrasense Inc., Massachusetts Port Authority and Maine Department of Transportation. Planned application of the proposed instruments are in the area of non destructive evaluation of highway and airfield pavements, development of test protocols for determination of key properties of existing and new materials, and for determination of effective design, construction and quality control methods. The FWD is necessary for estimation of moduli of existing layers. The GPR, with IR camera, is necessary for determination of pavement layer thickness and conditions information needed for estimation of layer moduli with FWD data. The requested instruments will also be used for undergraduate and graduate education. One example of use of these instruments is in an ongoing National Science Foundation project in a full-scale instrumented facility for determination of pavement layer responses under traffic. The data obtained from this study will be used in research as well as for teaching principles of pavement analysis and design, and use of non-destructive testing. The total cost of projects is about ten times the cost of the requested instrument, and potential benefit to cost ratio is very high. The requested instruments are critical for developing Non Destructive testing capabilities of the research team for current as well as future research projects. Such capabilities will enable the researchers to make significant contributions towards the development of new knowledge in the area of highway and airfield pavements that can be used by both civil and military organizations. Intellectual merit: The proposed project aims at practical application of principles of non-destructive testing, and will directly improve understanding of concepts and applications. Broader impacts: The work will lead to significant advances in understanding of material properties and use of non-destructive testing for material characterization. It will enable students of all groups and ethnicity to understand principles and applications of non-destructive testing right in the school, and will remove barriers for students with disabilities. Hence the proposed project will lead to generation of new knowledge and training of students, and hence will benefit society significantly. Project materials will be disseminated through reports, conferences and journal publications.