Surface profiling is an important part of road and pavement engineering, as roughness and therefore ride comfort can be calculated from such road profiles.
Road profiling systems have been developed to collect real-time continuous high-speed measurements of longitudinal profiles of road surfaces. They utilise non-contact laser sensors to measure the distance to the road surface and accelerometers to compensate for the effects of the vehicles movement.
Road profiling has become a crucial practice for road builders, contractors and even governments. They are responsible for gathering information such as longitudinal profile, micro and macro textures, and roughness to determine coefficients of friction.
The difficulty of making such road profile measurements lies in the dynamically changing targets, including tarmac, concrete, and paint.
The Bestech AR700, with optics, electronics and signal processing algorithms specifically for road profiling, has been developed by Acuity, and is available from Bestech Australia.
The AR700 is a triangulation sensor that measures distance by projecting a beam of laser light that creates a spot on a target surface. Reflected light from the surface is detected on an angle from inside the sensor, and the distance is processed by a microprocessor.
The AR700 RP sensor is optimised for road profiling. It’s 9.4 kHz sampling speed and low-noise digital output makes it the standard for road profiling applications. Different surface types, vehicle speeds, vibration, sunlight and temperature conditions can all be accounted for and are no problem for the AR700.
Measuring ranges for AR700 Road Profiling versions are 3.175 to 300 mm, and linearity is ±0.05% of the range. Resolution is down to 0.005% of the range, and laser spot diameters can be as little as 30µm.
The AR700 series is Acuity’s fastest and most accurate series of triangulation sensors, and ideal for road profiling applications. They are available in Australia and New Zealand from Bestech Australia Pty Ltd.
Bestech Australia Pty Ltd;
Leo Pasukov
03 9584 1133
lpasukov@bestech.com.au
www.bestech.com.au