Specialty Field Testing

Deflection testing is a quick and easy way to assess the structural condition of an in-service pavement in a nondestructive manner. Over the years, a variety of deflection testing equipment has been used for this purpose, from simple beam-like devices affixed with mechanical dial gauges to more sophisticated equipment using laser-based technology. Nevertheless, all pavement deflection testing equipment basically operates in the same manner—a known load is applied to the pavement, and the resulting maximum surface deflection or an array of surface deflections located at fixed distances from the load, known as a deflection basin.