 Unpaved roads can be a real challenge, not only to drive on, but also to maintain. Fortunately for the road maintenance professional, years of steady advancement in product design have resulted in today's efficient tools. So, responding to the problems that occur on the unsurface road is a lot easier and faster than it used to be. But, if you've ever replaced a washed-out culvert in the middle of the night, you know that even with modern tools, it's far better to anticipate problems than to react to them. The best way to keep ahead of road problems is to use a pavement management system. This videotape will show you how to take measurements for the unsurfaced roads management system. It's a tool that will help your road department actually see into the future. Road maintenance will be planned more precisely. It also helps you to be more efficient on a daily basis and tracks the information needed to show townspeople that you're doing the best job possible. The system is the product of several years of research and development by the U.S. Army Cold Region's Research and Engineering Laboratory. Your accurate measurements are the most important part of the system. In this tape, we will show you how to measure and record seven road problems called distresses. This field manual will be an important guide for you. In the back of the manual is an inspection sheet. This is the form you'll use when you measure the distresses. The areas where you will make measurements, called sample units, have been marked for you. Your inspection involves measuring all of the distresses in the sample unit. They are improper cross-section, inadequate roadside drainage, corrugations, dust, potholes, ruts, and loose aggregate. Let's look at the proper measurement procedure for each of these. Start by filling out the information at the top of the inspection sheet. You'll find the branch, section, and sample unit information on a map that's already been prepared. Be sure to fill in your name and the date. Then start by measuring the area of the sample unit. That's the length times the width from one shoulder break to the other. Make an overhead sketch of the unit showing areas of problems and road features such as culverts. First, let's look at improper cross-section. As you know, a proper cross-section looks like this. It has sufficient crown or bank on curves to carry water to the ditches. Even a slight ponding of water indicates improper cross-section. Here, the road surface is level and there's evidence of a small amount of standing water on the surface. This is called low severity. When there's a slight bowl shape or evidence of a moderate amount of standing water, we call it medium severity. Evidence of a lot of standing water or the presence of severe depressions puts it into the high severity classification. To measure improper cross-section, use a straight board. This is medium severity. The critical measurement is the number of feet of each level of severity. Here, the sample unit has 40 feet of medium severity and 20 feet of low severity. Next, we look at inadequate roadside drainage. When ditches and culverts fail to carry runoff, pools form alongside the road. The presence of these pools can weaken the road or they may drain across the road carrying surface material away. Look for ponding of water or evidence of ponding water and also for overgrowth or debris in the ditches. Again, you need to record the length of the problem in feet. This sample unit has 15 feet of medium severity and beyond that 30 feet of low severity. Refer to the field manual for help in judging severity level. Number three on the inspection sheet is corrugations or washboarding. We measure these by putting a straight board across the top and measuring depth. Severity is indicated by the distance between the high and low points of the corrugations. Record the area in square feet at each level of severity. This sample has 126 square feet at the medium severity level. To measure dust, just have someone drive through the sample unit at about 25 miles per hour and observe the dust cloud. This sample has a medium severity. This is a single rating for the whole sample. Check the appropriate box. Potholes are a familiar sight. First, measure their diameter and depth. This one is three feet in diameter by three inches deep. Next, refer to the table in the field manual to determine severity. So, here we get one at high severity. Record the total number of potholes for each severity. Again using our straight board and tape measure, we classify ruts. These ruts are about three inches deep, so they're of the medium severity. And with a dimension of four feet by ten feet, we record a total area of 40 square feet in the medium column. If there are ruts of any other severity, we record the total area of those as well. Finally, loose aggregate is the rock, sand, or soil that builds up into ridges along the center or sides of an unsurfaced road. The height of the berm is the key to its severity. Measure this, check the table in the manual, and then measure its length. In this case, the sample has one berm at medium severity, 20 feet in length. You'll no doubt run into situations where it'll be difficult to tell which distress is which, or several may occur together. A sample with improper cross-section may also have potholes and ruts. In this situation, use your best judgment, decide which is which, and then measure each distress separately. The system is flexible enough to give an accurate rating under most circumstances. With experience, spotting the different problems will become much easier. That's it for measurements. Your numbers will now become the basis for calculations to be performed back at the office. The final result of this process is a solidly based maintenance program. The importance of your careful measurements can't be overstressed. With your help, the Unsurfaced Roads Management System will provide the information needed to maintain and improve your roads at the lowest cost. Instead of reacting to the disasters that Mother Nature, Father Time, and your unpaved roads cook up for you, you'll have a sound maintenance plan to refer to year-round. That's a goal worth working for. Copies of the Unsurfaced Roads Field Manual are available from the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory at this address.