New method accurately assesses forest road conditions using vibrations and GPS.
Forest roads can get damaged by heavy timber trucks, causing pressure above 80 kN. A new method was developed to assess the condition of forest road surfaces using vibrations measured by a special software on a tablet. The research found that vibrations can accurately show the road's condition, with higher vibrations in damaged areas. The frequency of measurements didn't affect the results much, but driving speed did - slower speeds had lower vibrations. GPS signal quality is important for accurate data collection, and it's recommended to record each road segment twice to confirm damage locations.