DETECTION OF CRACKS IN ASPHALT PAVEMENT DURING ROAD INSPECTION PROCESSES

Road inspection is one of key processes of a pavement management system, whose function is to examine and describe the road infrastructure condition. When thoroughly performed, it provides the information required to implement an adequate road infrastructure maintenance policy and plan ad hoc repairs or refurbishments. This article discusses a solution for automatic asphalt pavement cracking detection, based on image-processing technology. This solution makes it possible to identify different crack types, i.e., transverse, longitudinal, alligator-type and technological cracks. The detection process is based on the application of various methods, including statistical difference identification for pre-assumed image analysis directions, i.e., in and opposite to the test vehicle running direction. The purpose of the morphological and filtering operations applied was to reduce the image noise level. The solution proposed was verified using video material in the form of a sequence of images recorded using the test vehicle.