ABSTRACT
Since 2010 the structural condition of the English strategic road network has been assessed using a Traffic-Speed Deflectometer (TSD) owned by Highways England. Initially, TSD surveys were carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) following their evaluation and development of the prototype equipment on behalf of Highways England. More recently TSD surveys have been carried out by a commercial operator with TRL acting as supervisor and auditor. In order to ensure that the surveys deliver robust and reliable data to Highways England, operational procedures and a comprehensive quality assurance process have been developed for the surveys. This includes accreditation and re-accreditation procedures for both the survey equipment and the operators together with 1st and 3rd party audit procedures for the survey process. The paper discusses the development and application of these methodologies and the challenges experienced in their implementation.
