DOI

10.5703/1288284313331

Abstract

With ever increasing traffic loadings, highway pavement maintenance needs continue to outpace the availability of resources, and transportation agencies seek cost-effective maintenance practices. This study investigated the effectiveness of maintenance treatments in the short-term and the cost effectiveness of maintenance strategies over entire pavement life. The study also analyzed the relationships and trade-offs between maintenance and capital investments such as pavement rehabilitation, and the trade-offs between preventive and corrective maintenance. These analyses were carried out through a work sequence that included analyses of historical trends, literature review, and a questionnaire survey. The study found that there are significant benefits associated with maintenance treatments, and that such short-term impacts generally involve an increase in pavement condition or a decrease in the rate of deterioration. For most treatments, a greater benefit is generally obtained for a larger effort expended on the maintenance treatment, at a given level of pavement condition, up to a point. The study also found that if chosen appropriately, maintenance strategies could be cost-effective in the long run. The most costeffective strategy was determined for each pavement family. Finally, the study determined that trade-off relationships exist between intervals of capital investments on one hand, and maintenance, traffic loading, and weather on the other hand: up to a point, increasing maintenance leads to increased rehabilitation interval, while increasing traffic loads and weather severity leads to reduction in rehabilitation interval, albeit at different rates for each pavement family. Marginal effects models were used to determine the effect of unit changes in maintenance levels, traffic loading, and weather on changes in rehabilitation interval. This information is useful not only for pavement management, but also for policy analyses involving truck weights, and pavement repair needs assessment to reflect changing traffic and weather conditions in the long-term. The data for the study was supplied by the Indiana Department of Transportation.

Report Number

FHWA/IN/JTRP-2002/27

Keywords

Pavement maintenance, preventive maintenance, corrective maintenance, maintenance strategies, rehabilitation, marginal effects, short-term effectiveness, long-term effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, life-cycle costs analysis, capital expenditure, SPR-2397

SPR Number

2397

Project Number

C-36-64L

File Number

3-5-12

Performing Organization

Joint Transportation Research Program

Publisher Place

West Lafayette, IN

Date of this Version

2003

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