What is the purpose of calibrating the Hearne Straightedge?

Calibrating the Hearne Straightedge serves primarily to maintain consistency in profile testing. The Hearne Straightedge is a tool used to assess the flatness and overall profile of a roadway surface. By ensuring that the straightedge itself is properly calibrated, the measurements taken for surface profile are reliable and uniform across multiple tests. Consistency in these measurements is crucial for evaluating the quality of the roadway and for making any necessary adjustments to construction practices or surface treatments. If calibration were not performed, variations in the tool could lead to inaccurate assessments, compromising the integrity of the profile testing results.

While accurate length measurement, surface temperature verification, and traffic load capacity measurements are all important aspects of roadway evaluation and management, the specific function of calibrating the Hearne Straightedge is directly related to profile testing consistency.