Mapping Asphalt Road Conditions with Hyperspectral Remote Sensing

This study integrates ground spectrometry, imaging spectrometry, and in-situ pavement condition surveys for asphalt road assessment. There is strong spectral evidence for asphalt aging and deterioration processes, hence field spectra showed that asphalt aging and deterioration produce measurable changes in spectra as these surfaces undergo a transition from hydrocarbon dominated new roads to mineral dominated older roads. Spectral measures derived from field and image spectra correlated well with pavement quality indicators. Spectral confusion between pavement material aging and asphalt mix erosion on the one hand, and structural road damages (e.g. cracking) on the other, poses some limits to remote sensing based mapping. Both the “common practice” methods (Pavement management systems-PMS, in-situ vehicle inspections), and analysis using imaging spectrometry are effective in identifying roads in good and very good condition. Variance and uncertainty in all survey data (PMS, in-situ vehicle inspections, remote sensing) increases for road surfaces in poor condition and clear determination of specific (and expensive) surface treatment decisions remains problematic from these methods.