Modeling the effects of the road’s nature on a light vehicle for the estimation of its roughness index

Abstract This study proposes a novel method for estimating the International Roughness Index (IRI) of roads using real data collected from a prototype vehicle. The approach involves on developing a mathematical model of a light vehicle performing a longitudinal movement based on the fundamental principles of force dynamics, combined with the speed control mechanism look like a driving style and a one-dimensional model designed using MATLAB/Simulink. The performance of the IRI estimator is validated on field data collected by the vehicle’s on-board recorder along an experimental route. The IRI is estimated ranging from 3.57 to 3.68 m km −1 . According to the IRI’s threshold at difference speed, the range correspond to those of roads with minor deficiencies likewise the experimental route, confirms the effectiveness of the proposed approach.