smoothness testing devices
Advance Testing has been performing smoothness testing for the past fifteen years, starting with our dipstick flatness-testing unit. Our next acquisitions included two lightweight profilers, an ARRB walking profiler directly from Australia, and most recently, Advance Testing has obtained two high-speed profilers.
The
dipstick test is performed by moving the unit along straight lines, taking
measurements every 12” using a precision accelerometer. Several lines are
measured in a grid pattern on the slab. Dipstick testing is the standard
method for determining concrete floor flatness and levelness, as specified
by the American Concrete Institute. Advance Testing has performed Dipstick
flatness testing at numerous warehouses and production facilities
including the Old Navy Distribution Center in Fishkill, Baxter
Pharmaceutical, Vassar College, and the IBM 300 mm Project. Floor slabs
built in accordance with ACI standards must meet minimum values for
flatness and levelness, and more stringent criteria are applied to
critical floor areas, such as in warehouses using high-lift forklifts.Advance Testing’s walking profiler also provides precision measurements of pavement smoothness and can be used inside the work zone. It is ideally suited to testing small areas and making transverse measurements 
of the pavement.
The high-speed profiler is the newest addition to the line of smoothness testing equipment. Our high-speed profilers are capable of measuring surface smoothness while driving at highway speeds in normal traffic. This allows for miles of pavement to be measured in relatively short periods of time. No extra traffic or safety setups are necessary, saving the contractor both time and money.
Advance Testing’s profilers provide readings of International Roughness Index (IRI), California Profilograph (PI), and Rolling Straight Edge. Both the lightweight and the walking Profilers can be used immediately after paving because of the light weight and the soft tires on the units. This means results are immediate so corrections can be made without significant additional cost. Federal Highway Administration, along with some state agencies, are incorporating road smoothness standards into specifications as a major pay item. Our profiling devices have been used to test airports, bridges, major highways, and NASCAR race tracks, including, John F. Kennedy Airport, Massachusetts Turnpike, the George Washington Bridge, and New Hampshire International Speedway. In addition, Advance Testing is well-versed in setting up test tracks using our smoothness testing equipment having set up one for the New York State DOT and one right here in Orange County for testing purposes.
