Laboratory versus nondestructive testing for pavement design

A comparison of the results obtained from laboratory and field tests of a pavement structure is discussed. The laboratory procedure includes the application of pulsating loads on the structure through diametral and triaxial tests while the field testing procedure employs the falling weight deflectometer (FWD) method, a technique widely used by designers because of its reliability. Results from both tests indicate that FWD is capable of accurate moduli analysis at low cost as compared to conventional laboratory programs.