Road condition surveys are undertaken annually of Scotland's trunk roads to ensure best value is achieved from our road maintenance programme.
Operating Companies analyse the information obtained from these surveys and use this to plan maintenance works across the network.
Benefits
All the road condition data is pulled together in Transport Scotland’s computerised Pavement Management System and the proposed maintenance schemes are prioritised to provide best value for money maintenance programmes. Condition trends are also monitored closely.
What type of surveys are undertaken?
There are three types of vehicle based survey which are used:
What information is collected?
Transport Scotland has used the Deflectograph survey vehicle for over 20 years to provide an indication of road strength. Measuring the condition of all road layers determines the long term budget requirements needed to maintain the structural integrity of the trunk road network. This provides reliable estimates of the remaining useful life of the road and identifies areas requiring strengthening.
SCANNER (Surface Condition Assessment for the National NEtwork of Roads)
This vehicle measures and records surface condition and ride quality on the trunk road network. From this Transport Scotland can assess the lengths of road which require resurfacing or overlaying of the surface layer.
SCRIM (Sideways Co-efficient Routine Investigation Machine)
The SCRIM survey helps reduce accident rates by measuring the wet skidding resistance of a road surface.
This helps to lower accident rates by identifying where there is a risk of skidding on wet roads. The approach provides a sustainable policy by targeting the best skid resistant materials to the highest risk areas. The investigation of sites can be undertaken to help reduce accidents, provide continuous improvement in accident rates and provide best value.
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