Correlation between User Opinion and Pavement Roughness Measurement using Smartphones in Dhaka

Abstract

Pavement roughness is described as a road surface imperfection that impacts user comfort and safety. Pavement is a vital part because it influences vehicle maintenance costs, vehicle delay costs, and fuel consumption. The ride's quality is also impacted. Roughness influences performance, increasing the contact surface between the tire and the pavement. This will result in less brake friction. Pavement roughness arises because of vehicle axial stress, increased traffic volumes, harsh weather conditions, and the use of low-quality materials while paving roadways. The international roughness index (IRI) is used to categorize roughness measurements. It is an internationally recognized standard for measuring the comfort of a ride. IRI is often measured using inertial profilers. To assess pavement profile, inertial profilers are outfitted with sensitive accelerometers, a height detecting laser, a distance measuring device, and so on. Smartphones have a range of sensors, including a three-axis accelerometer, which was utilized in this study to collect vehicle acceleration data using an Android-based smartphone app. Some research studies have been carried out about the use of smartphones to assess the road surface distress. The purpose is to correlate the road surface distress using a android phone with the public opinion. For preliminary validation, five test sites in Dhaka, Bangladesh, were chosen to collect user feedback as well as acceleration data acquired via the smartphone application. A successful model is being established that demonstrates an appropriate relationship among the pavement roughness assessed by android phone and common public opinions in Bangladesh. As reports and data are scarce in our country then this report can be preserved for future research. This paper can be helpful in any transportation-related project.