Pilot Study to Incorporate Network-Level Structural Condition in Agency Pavement Management Practices

Abstract

The structural condition of roadway pavements is crucial in assessing the overall health of roadway networks and making informed decisions on maintenance and rehabilitation interventions. While current pavement management systems (PMSs) primarily rely on surface distress conditions, incorporating structural condition assessment at the network level can enhance decision-making processes. An approach is presented to incorporate network-level structural condition measurements obtained from the traffic speed deflectometer (TSD) in the Virginia Department of Transportation PMS. This involves determining a structural number, calculated using TSD measurements, selecting an appropriate structural condition measure (remaining structural service life) for use in the PMS, enhancing treatment selection decision trees, and conducting a cost analysis. The TSD-derived effective structural number, obtained following the American Association of State Highways and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) 1993 empirical design procedure, is utilized with traffic projections and other design information to estimate the remaining structural service life. In the treatment recommendation process, surface distress information is combined with the structural condition assessment, considering budget allocation and pavement useful life. For US Route 29 in Virginia, comparing treatment costs revealed a potential 33.2% cost saving for one maintenance cycle using the augmented decision process, which includes structural assessment, compared with surface distress assessment alone. This approach could provide a comprehensive framework for integrating structural condition assessment in PMSs, enabling more effective and cost-efficient decision-making for roadway networks. To further optimize resource allocation and improve accuracy, combining the augmented treatment selection process with deterioration predictions for a cost analysis over several maintenance cycles is recommended.