Falling Weight Deflectometer

The Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) is a device used to test pavement structural capacity and performance. It drops controlled weights onto pavement and measures deflection using sensors. Deflection measurements are used to determine properties like load transfer efficiency at joints and potential for subsurface voids. FWD testing has various uses and the Pennsylvania Department has been performing it since 1985 using three devices. Testing procedures follow ASTM standards and are impacted by temperature.

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Falling Weight Deflectometer

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Rudiny Al Farabhy

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Falling Weight Deflectometer

RITS performs Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) testing for the investigation of pavement structural
capacity, performance, and other special circumstances, typically as requested by District offices.
An FWD is a device that drops weight, of amounts
controlled by the operator, onto a load plate positioned
on the pavement surface (usually in the right
wheelpath) and measures the defection of the
pavement with seven sensors located in a series, one
foot apart, along the device. (One of the sensors is
located directly over the point of loading.) Deflection
is measured in mils, which are thousandths of an
inch. The van that tows the test device is equipped
with computer system electronics to control the testing
and record the measurements. The deflection basin
can be determined from these measurements. On
cement concrete pavements, deflection testing can
also be used for determining transverse joint load
transfer efficiency, and the potential for the presence
or absence of subsurface voids.

Other uses of deflection testing include the evaluation of maintenance and rehabilitation strategies,
bearing capacity surveys, analysis of pavement failure, management of load restrictions, airport
pavement design, testing and classification, fatigue tests, and compaction control.
The Department has been performing FWD testing since 1985. RITS currently owns three Falling
Weight Deflectometer devices.
FWD test equipment is defined in ASTM D 4694; the test method is defined in ASTM D 4695.

One person is needed to perform testing; the device is positioned at the required location, and testing is
performed with the device in a stationary position.
Testing is typically performed during the months of March through November, but can vary depending
on weather conditions. If the temperature is below 40 degrees (Fahrenheit) and/or the subgrade is
frozen, test results may be misleading or invalid. Deflection testing for determining transverse joint
load transfer efficiency, or void detection, should not be done if the temperature is above 70 degrees
(Fahrenheit). At temperatures exceeding this value, the pavement expands, and the joints constrict, to
a point that movement is restricted, leading to invalid test results.
Since the device is stationary during testing, road closure and/or maintenance and protection of traffic
is required. The number of tests within a project varies, depending on the type of testing, the initial
results, and the needs of the customer. The production rate may exceed 1000 tests per day.
The weight dropped during testing varies depending on the
results being sought. To determine resilient modulus, MR,
on flexible pavements, the weight used is 9000 pounds,
which equals the point load (at each tire) on the pavement
under an 18,000 pound axle (the standard load used as the
basis for structural pavement design). There are instances
where dropping only 9000 pounds on a rigid pavement does
not initiate deflection at any sensor location other than that
directly over the load, causing invalid deflection basin
results. Therefore, for MR testing, or any other mid-slab
testing on jointed rigid pavements, 16,000 pounds are
dropped; the additional weight ensures a properly distributed

deflection basin.

The determination of pavement material properties from FWD measurements is referred to as

backcalculation. The Department uses DARWin software for this purpose, and for the structural design
of pavements. This software embodies the methodology of the AASHTO Guide for the Design of
Pavement Structures. For more information, refer to that manual, the AASHTOWare DARWin Users
Guide, or the Pavement Policy Manual (Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Publication 242).
To perform testing of transverse joint load transfer efficiency on rigid pavements, a weight of 9000
pounds is dropped approximately six inches from the joint, and the deflection at the sensors
immediately on each side of the joint are compared, as follows:

The percentage of transfer joint efficiency is simply: (D2 / D1) x 100

Ideally, all of the load would be transferred across the joint, the deflections would be equal on both
sides, and the transfer efficiency would be 100%. These tests can be performed by dropping the weight
on the side before the joint, after the joint, or multiple tests can be performed by dropping the weight on
both sides. In some cases, every joint is tested; in others every fourth or fifth joint is tested.
Void detection testing is usually performed at the same time as transverse joint load transfer efficiency
testing. For void detection, deflection is measured at three different weight amounts: 9000 pounds,
12,000 pounds, and 16,000 pounds. By plotting the deflection versus the load, the potential for voids is
determined as follows:

By extrapolating the line plotting the measured deflections, the y-intercept can be determined. The
y-intercept represents a deflection value under zero load, D0. If D0 is greater than 3 mils, then the
potential for the presence of voids exists.
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