ICP owns a Dynatest HWD 8081 Heavy Weight Deflectometer. This equipment allows for knowing load capacity of roads by applying a dynamic load on pavement surface. As a consequence, it is possible to reproduce pavement structural behavior and know its load capacity giving a mechanical characterization of every layer of the pavement structure.

Dynatest HWD 8081 Heavy Weight Deflectometer is the most powerful equipment of the market. It can transmit a maximum load equivalent to 320kN.

The vehicle is formed by a drag car and a trailer. With the help of an odometer, the operator who is inside the drag, locates the trailer and its geophones on the measurement point. The drag includes some raising masses which rise and drop down on a load plate simulating the wheel track.

Depending on the thickness and type of surveyed pavement, nine geophones are placed on a straight bar at a variable distance in order to measure deflection of nine points. Then, the seven most adequate points are chosen for each test. One of these is placed under the load plate and allows for measuring the maximum deflection value.

The operator can change the number and lifted height of masses so that it is possible to produce hits, programmable by the operator from the vehicle, with variable loads.

So, nine deflections values per points, obtained by inverse calculation programs and information about the thickness and layers of the pavement, make it possible to know the load capacity of pavements.

In the case of rigid and semi-rigid pavements it is possible, following AASHTO Standards, to know transfer values between joints and presence of holes under slabs or cemented base. In order to carry out condition surveys, the vehicle should be totally stopped; as a result average speed of data collection varies depending on the points to be tested.

Since these works represent a dangerous situation especially on roads and highways, the presence of an auxiliary vehicle is totally necessary. This should be at a distance that enables both vehicles to be clearly seen by road users.

When it comes to rigid or airports pavements, this is actually the only equipment that offers totally guarantee of quality and reliability.

ICPhands over a complete report as well as the data base of the surveying campaign and a visual program to analyze all data.

This visual program contains coordinated tools that provides information about:

• Maximum deflection value taken on the corresponding kilometric point
• Graph of the deflection basin related to the corresponding kilometric point
• Location in Google Maps of the corresponding Kilometric Point
• Graph of deflections taken in a specific stretch
• Moreover, this program allows for dividing the road into homogeneous stretches according to the obtained deflections