Mobile laser scanning system for assessment of the rainwater runoff and drainage conditions on road pavements

Rainfall pools forming on a road surface are a significant safety issue. When the road is wet, there is a rapid decrease in skid resistance, with increasing risk of accident. The problem can be avoided through an efficient maintenance programme based on a high performance survey system. The technique known as a Mobile Mapping System (MMS) can be a very useful tool, allowing a large amount of data to be acquired in a short time and at low cost. Based on the data collected from a high-performance survey using MMS, the authors propose an operational procedure that can define the optimal maintenance intervention for road sections where there is a shortage of rainwater runoff and drainage. The procedure was developed over sequential steps with a focus on structural and functional performance, in order to evaluate the causes of any failure and to define the appropriate maintenance.