Bus‐Ride Panel Rating of Pavement Serviceability

Abstract

In accordance with the concept of pavement serviceability rating, busride panel rating should logically be employed for assessing the pavement serviceability of bus lanes and other road networks that are used predominantly by bus traffic. This paper describes a test program which was conducted to study the need and feasibility of using bus raters for serviceability rating of bus‐traffic‐dominated roads in Singapore. The test program was carefully designed so as to allow for a meaningful comparison of bus panel ratings with car panel ratings. Test results indicated that the two modes of ratings were compatible and equally sensitive in differentiating pavements with different serviceability. However, bus panel raters were found to be more intolerant of pavement roughness than car panel raters. The study suggests that bus‐ride panel is a feasible means of rating pavement serviceability, and that there exists a need for its use in rating highway pavements carrying considerable bus traffic.