Measurement method and application evaluation of continuous deflection basin in high dynamic scenarios

• A novel pavement deformation velocity measurement method is proposed, considering the non-zero deformation velocity at the reference point, shortening its distance from 3.6 m to 2.4 m, and overcoming the scope limitations of traditional zero-velocity reference point assumption methods. • A compact integrated laser dynamic deflectometer is developed using a medium-duty truck platform, significantly improving the accessibility and universality of continuous deflection measurement equipment in high-dynamic scenarios. • Experimental results verify that LDD-II data show high consistency with FWD (correlation coefficient = 0.96), confirming its reliability for pavement structural performance evaluation. • Systematic evaluation of potential influencing factors (e.g., road cross slope, pavement texture, dynamic load, speed) indicates most have negligible impacts or can be mitigated by calibration, except parallel loads and trajectory effects. To address the limitations of existing high-speed deflection measurement technologies, particularly concerning accessibility constraints and insufficient universality assessment, this study presents an innovative pavement deformation velocity measurement method incorporating reference point deformation velocity. The proposed approach reduces the reference measurement distance from 3.6 m to 2.4 m and develops a novel laser dynamic Deflectometer (LDD-II) through integration a compact vehicle platform. This integration substantially improves the accessibility and universality of continuous deflection equipment under high-dynamic scenarios. Comprehensive validation studies, including analysis of potential influencing factors and specialized experimental testing, demonstrate the system’s operational capabilities. The experimental results demonstrate that in high-dynamic scenarios, the LDD-II measurements exhibit strong consistency with the Falling Weight Deflectometer data (correlation coefficient = 0.96). The analysis reveals that road cross slope, pavement texture and sensor installation errors exert negligible influence on the measurements. The effects of dynamic load, speed and temperature can be effectively mitigated through model calibration. However, three notable factors require further consideration: parallel loads show measurable impacts on measurement accuracy; the influence of driving trajectory depends on the distribution of the road’s bearing capacity, and the effect of subgrade moisture remains inconclusive and warrants additional investigation. This study establishes both theoretical foundations and practical methodologies for advancing continuous deflection measurement technologies, facilitating their broader implementation in network-level pavement health monitoring system.