Cracks on roads are a common problem that can affect the safety, durability and aesthetics of the pavement. Cracks can be caused by various factors, such as traffic load, temperature changes, moisture infiltration, aging and poor construction quality. Cracks can also lead to other pavement distresses, such as potholes, rutting and raveling. Therefore, it is important to detect and characterize cracks on roads in a timely and accurate manner.
Traditional crack detection methods depend mainly on manual work and are limited by the following: (i) they are time consuming and laborious; (ii) they rely entirely on human experience and judgment. Therefore, automatic crack detection is essential to detect and identify cracks on the road quickly and accurately [^3^].
One of the most advanced software tools for automatic crack detection and characterization is Advanced Road Design (ARD), developed by Civil Survey Solutions Pty Ltd. ARD is a civil design software that supports multiple CAD platforms, such as AutoCAD, AutoCAD Civil 3D and BricsCAD. ARD has a module called ARD Pipes that can create and edit pipe networks from survey data, design data or polylines [^2^]. ARD Pipes can also be used to detect and characterize cracks on roads using image processing techniques.
The basic steps of using ARD Pipes for crack detection and characterization are as follows:
By using ARD Pipes for crack detection and characterization, road engineers and managers can benefit from the following advantages:
In conclusion, ARD Pipes is a powerful and versatile tool that can help road engineers and managers to detect and characterize cracks on roads using advanced image processing techniques. ARD Pipes is part of the ARD software suite that offers faster, easier and smarter civil design solutions for various CAD platforms [^1^]. To learn more about ARD Pipes or to download a free trial version of ARD software, please visit https://www.civilsurveysolutions.com.au/.
