Precision Assessment of the Florida Texture Meter in Hot Mix Asphalt

Abstract

Over the last several years, significant studies have been conducted to measure pavement texture. The Florida Texture Meter, or FTM, is a recently developed portable laser-based device that measures the surface texture of pavement in terms of mean profile depth (MPD). The precision assessment of the FTM designed by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is assessed in this research. To evaluate the precision of the FTM, 12 recently paved hot mix asphalt sites were considered, and their textures were measured using the FTM. Precision analysis was conducted using the collected data in accordance with standard practice ASTM C82. Three common mixes and two types of aggregate were considered to select test sites because the aggregate size and type impact the surface texture of asphalt. Furthermore, correlation between FTM and circular track meter (CTM) measurements was performed to validate the FTM results. According to the results from the precision analysis, the repeatability and reproducibility of the FTM test method were .18 and .22 mm, respectively. Outcomes also showed a strong correlation between these two texture meter devices.