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Our Company

Trusted infrastructure consulting expertise built on nearly four decades of nondestructive evaluation leadership. Our client-focused approach delivers trusted results.

Services

Comprehensive infrastructure assessments that minimize disruption while maximizing data quality. Our experienced teams deliver actionable reports and strategic recommendations that protect your assets.

Technology

Advanced NDE technologies that reveal critical infrastructure conditions without costly shutdowns. Our proven methods deliver the precise data you need for confident maintenance decisions.

Falling Weight Deflectometer

Precision Pavement Structural Assessment

Understanding Pavement Performance Through Load Testing

physical properties of pavement. The FWD generates a load pulse that simulates the load of a moving vehicle wheel and measures the vertical deflection at the point of loading and at various offsets from the load.

The FWD creates loading conditions that closely simulate actual traffic loads by dropping a controlled weight onto the pavement surface. This load can be as low as 5,000 pounds when used for quality control of subgrade or aggregate base compaction, and as high as 29,000 pounds when used for airfield pavement evaluation. The resulting deflection basin measurements provide critical data for understanding the pavement structural capacity and predicting future performance.

Capabilities

Precise Deflection Measurement
Array of 9 high-precision geophones captures a complete deflection basin for comprehensive structural analysis.
Variable Load Application
Adjustable loading from 5,000 to 29,000 pounds for diverse pavement types from subgrade QC to airfield evaluation.
Calibrated Accuracy
Annual reference calibration at a FWD calibration center and monthly relative calibrations in accordance with AASHTO R32 to ensure consistent, reliable data for critical decisions.
Advanced Data Collection
Integrated GPS data and automated sensors at standardized offsets provide precise location-referenced data.

Applications

FWD testing can be used for:

  • Back-calculation of pavement layer moduli
  • Determining subgrade resilient modulus and effective Structural Number
  • Estimation of pavement remaining life
  • Structural benchmarking of pavements 
  • Load transfer efficiency (LTE) across concrete joints
  • Detection of voids beneath concrete pavements

Equipment

Dynatest Model 8002 FWD System

Dynatest Model 8002 trailer-mounted system. This industry-standard platform delivers consistent, repeatable results for comprehensive pavement evaluation.

FWD data overpaid on mapview

Integrated GPS & Data Logging

Built-in positioning and data collection systems ensure accurate location referencing and comprehensive documentation of all test parameters including air temperature and pavement temperature.

Complementary GPR System

A vehicle mounted GPR system using a 1.0 GHz GPR air-launched horn antenna can be included with FWD testing to directly measure pavement layer thickness, improving the accuracy of backcalculated layer moduli and structural analysis. This eliminates the need for costly and labor intensive manual coring of the pavement to obtain the pavement thickness required for back-calculation.

Related Case Studies

NDE Pavement Mapping
February 25, 2025

NDE Pavement Mapping

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Tri-State Area Projects
July 16, 2024

Tri-State Area Projects

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FWD in MA, NH, and NJ
September 15, 2022

FWD in MA, NH, and NJ

→

Ready to assess your pavement's structural integrity?

Consult with our FWD specialists to obtain the precise deflection data you need for informed pavement management and engineering decisions.

Request a Quote

Resources

ASTM

AASHTO

FHWA

Have a Question?

  • FWD provides quantitative structural capacity data that enables objective ranking of pavement sections by remaining life and rehabilitation urgency. This data-driven approach optimizes maintenance timing and treatment selection, typically extending overall network life by 20-30% compared to visual inspection-based decisions while maximizing budget efficiency.

  • FWD testing measures actual structural capacity through load response, while visual methods only assess surface conditions that may not reflect underlying structural integrity. Our calibrated systems provide quantitative moduli data accurate to within 10%, enabling precise remaining life calculations that visual assessments cannot achieve.

  • When combined with our complementary GPR thickness measurements, FWD testing eliminates 80-90% of required cores by providing layer moduli data directly through deflection analysis. This integrated approach reduces project costs significantly while providing more comprehensive structural data than traditional coring programs.