Evaluation of the condition of slab-paved pedestrian pavements based on analysis of geodetic surveys

The 3D geometric characteristics and the quality of two slab-paved pedestrian pavements of high and poor quality of material and craftsmanship, respectively, surfaced with concrete slabs, were studied using geodetic measurements. A total station and mini reflectors were used to record the coordinates of the corners of all concrete slabs. The residual coordinates between a best-fit plane and the two slab-paved surfaces were then statistically analysed, and the offsets and the 3D tilting of each slab were estimated and compared. It was found that even small (e.g. ,0.58–18 tilting) deviations from the standard values of the high-quality pedestrian pavement lead to constructions that can be classified as defective, even by a visual inspection. Hence, the proposed methodology permits a quantitative estimation of the geometric characteristics, and could even define specifications for the geometric quality of, at a first step, slab-paved pedestrian pavements.