Applying Pavement Preservation Concepts to Low-Volume Roads

Author(s):  
Kathryn A. Zimmerman ◽  
David G. Peshkin

As the challenges associated with managing a low-volume road network increase, agencies have realized the benefits associated with the use of pavement management tools for the road network. One of the benefits of the use of these tools is the ability to illustrate quickly and effectively the impacts of various pavement preservation strategies (such as worst-first repair) on overall network conditions. As a result, agencies are in a better position to communicate the needs of the road network to individuals responsible for the allocation of funds. In some cases, agencies have successfully lobbied for additional funds to support their road management efforts. The benefit of pavement management tools in supporting the preservation of the low-volume road network is illustrated by their use in evaluating the long-term impact of various funding strategies, the cost-effectiveness of pavement preventive maintenance programs, and various cost analyses that can be used to enhance road system management. Information from a variety of transportation agencies is used for this illustration. For instance, a summary is presented of the use of pavement management information to compare a worst-first repair strategy with a strategy that includes pavement preservation techniques. Examples are provided of the types of presentations that can be given to top management to illustrate these effects. In addition, the cost-effectiveness of pavement preservation programs is illustrated by showing the reduction in life-cycle costs and the overall benefits provided to the agency through the implementation of preventive maintenance programs.

2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 449-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subhash Datta

The PURA (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) scheme has been designed to induce sustainable growth in underdeveloped areas. The test region is the Nuh Block, Haryana, a region severely lacking the amenities required for an area with a population of 201,816 which is increasing rapidly. The proposed development period of 2005 to 2020 is split into three equal phases to help distribute the expenditure evenly over time. Five ‘nodal’ villages are chosen to act as centres of development for the block. These are linked together through the road network system. Three alternative networks are discussed in terms of the cost-effectiveness of the design.


Author(s):  
Jelena Ćirilović Stanković ◽  
Goran Mladenović ◽  
Cesar Queiroz

About 20% of the Serbian national road network has sections with low volume traffic. These sections are maintained in relatively poor condition since the maintenance budget is typically allocated to the road sections with most traffic. This paper aims to define the appropriate maintenance policy for keeping these sections in “optimal” condition. The traditional approach has been to consider as optimal the condition leading to the minimum sum of road agency costs and road user costs. However, currently there is an emphasis on including environmental cost (greenhouse gas emissions, in particular) into pavement management systems. This extends the concept of optimum by defining it as the maintenance policy leading to the minimum sum of (a) road agency costs, (b) road user costs, and (c) the cost to society of CO2 emissions. Three potential influencing factors are further analyzed: traffic loading, pavement structural number, and the initial condition of the road section. The World Bank’s Road Network Evaluation Tools (RONET) model was used to analyze the Serbian low volume road network and develop the optimal maintenance policy. The results show that the cost of CO2 emissions plays an important role in calculating the optimal policy, but unlike the high volume parts of the road network, in the case of low volume roads, a substantial part of total emissions is related to the production and placement of new pavement layers, rather than from vehicle emissions.


Author(s):  
Bizzar B. Madzikigwa

The road sector in Botswana continues to develop its road network throughout the country at a tremendous rate. When Botswana gained independence in 1966, it had only 10 km (16 mi) of bitumen road. By 1992 the total length of bituminous surfaced road reached 3500 km (2,175 mi) out of a total road network of 18 000 km (11,285 mi). These statistics clearly show that the majority of roads are not yet surfaced; these are low-volume roads that provide access to the rural areas where most of the country’s population is found, though in low density. In spite of the rapid improvement in the quality of the national road network in recent years, much remains to be done. In the early 1970s and early 1980s the rural roads unit was introduced in the Ministry of Works Transport and Communications, which was charged with the responsibility of design and construction of low-volume roads around the country in a bid to integrate the country’s road network. This unit was later disbanded in the 1990s, and all roads are improved through the conventional procurement system using private contractors. For these roads the justification of a surfacing project based on conventional economic return methods does not apply, and worse still, the road improvements have to compete with other amenities for the same limited resources. Three ministries in Botswana are responsible for roads: Ministry of Works Transport and Communications, Ministry of Local Government, and Ministry of Trade, Industry, Wildlife and Tourism. These ministries have different responsibilities for different roads within the country, and earth, sand, and gravel roads are found under the jurisdiction of each of the ministries. The major drawbacks concerning low-volume roads in Botswana are inadequate maintenance, poor road construction materials, and the environmental impacts of the roads. Since the budget and resources are inadequate to keep these roads in good condition, it would be prudent to find technological means that would improve the locally available road construction materials so as to minimize their effects on the environment and vehicle operating costs.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2472 (1) ◽  
pp. 134-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvatore Cafiso ◽  
Alessandro Di Graziano ◽  
Giuseppina Pappalardo

Author(s):  
R. Gary Hicks ◽  
Kimberly Dunn ◽  
James S. Moulthrop

Preventive maintenance techniques are considered useful in extending the life of a pavement if applied at the right time. Discussed here is a framework for a process that can be used to select the proper maintenance strategies for different distress types in asphalt pavements, depending on traffic level and environment. Maintenance treatments addressed include only crack seals, fog seals, slurry seals, microsurfacings, chip seals, thin asphalt concrete overlays, and other thin surface treatments. Types of distress considered include roughness, rutting, fatigue cracking, longitudinal cracking, raveling, weathering, and bleeding. Decision trees, based on the authors' experiences, are presented to illustrate the process in selecting appropriate maintenance treatments. A framework for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of the various maintenance treatments is presented. Existing methods for evaluating cost-effectiveness of maintenance are discussed together with their strengths and weaknesses. An example of cost-effectiveness for different maintenance treatments is also briefly presented.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 (11) ◽  
pp. 31-42
Author(s):  
Antoni Szydło ◽  
Piotr Mackiewicz

The costs of construction and the future maintenance of expressways and motorways have a significant impact on the choice of technologies for their construction. The subject of the article is the analysis of the costs of construction and maintenance of rigid (concrete) and flexible (asphalt mixtures) pavements in Poland. The construction technologies and maintenance scenarios in service were analysed for selected pavement constructions of rigid and flexible motorways and expressways. The costs of construction and maintenance of these pavements in national conditions were determined. The fourth quarter of 2015 was adopted as the initial price level. On the basis of the analysis of the costs of construction and maintenance of the analysed structures, the advantage of rigid constructions made of cement concrete was demonstrated, especially in the aspect of the surface maintenance. The cost assessment was carried out for 30 years of exploitation. The concrete pavements on the road network in Poland have been used for over 20 years. They are present both on low-class roads and on the highest-class roads, i.e. motorways and expressways.


Author(s):  
Seyed Ataollah Hosseini ◽  
Mohammad Reza Mazrae ◽  
Majid Lotfalian ◽  
Aidin Parsakhoo

Planning of forest road network is the most important issue for sustainable management of northern forests in Iran. This study represented a technical method of forest road planning by using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) in Vatan forestry plan of Golestan province, Iran. The aim of this study was to find out options for the optimization of skid trail length and for decreasing the negative effects of redundant skid trail length. Results of this study showed that the total length of forest road and the road network density was 36745 m and 8.68 m ha−1, respectively. 54% of the area was covered by these roads. 98.06 km skid trail was planned from road verge into the forest interior. The density of this skidding trail was 23.17 m ha−1. The suggested road network length measured using GIS was 47.23 km. Road density was 10.87 m ha−1, with 79% coverage. Skid trail length was 81.04 km, and skid trail density was 19.15 m ha−1. On the basis of GIS measurements, the skid trails on new road network system had shorter length and more frequency. This causes to decrease the cost of primary transportation. Moreover, in this plan the roads with suitable coverage passed from stable slopes. Santrauka Miško kelių tinklo planavimas – viena svarstomų problemų, siekiant užtikrinti tvarią miškotvarkos sistemą šiaurinėje Irano dalyje esančiuose miškuose. Šiame straipsnyje pristatomas miško kelių planavimo techninis metodas, taikant GIS (geografinės informacinės sistemos) programą ir naudojant Vatan miško, Golestan provincijoje, Irane, planus. Šio tyrimo tikslas – išsiaiškinti galimybes, kaip optimizuoti miško keliukų ilgį ir sumažinti neigiamą poveikį miškui, mažinant perteklinį šių keliukų trasos ilgį. Pirminiai rezultatai parodė, kad bendras esamų kelių ilgis siekia 36 745 km, kelių tinklas aprėpė 54% visos tiriamosios teritorijos, tankis siekė 8,68 m ha−1, o optimalus miško kelių tinklas buvo rengiamas pagal esamą 98,06 km ilgio miško keliukų tinklą, kurio tankis – 23,17 m ha−1. Bendras siūlomo kelių tinklo ilgis siekia 47,23 km, tankumas – 10,87 m ha−1, jis aprėpia 79% teritorijos. Miško keliukų ilgis – 81,04 km, tankumas – 19,15 m·ha−1. Remiantis GIS matavimais, naujo miško keliukų tinklo keliukai buvo trumpesni, tačiau jų tinklas tankesnis. Dėl šios priežasties mažėja pirminės transporto išlaidos ir sukuriama optimali miško keliukų aprėptis, pagerinamas prieinamumas. Резюме Планирование сети лесных дорог является одним из важнейших вопросов при создании упорядоченной системылесохозяйствования в северной части Ирана. В статье представлен технический метод планирования лесохозяйственной деятельности (прокладки дорог) с использованием ГИС и плана леса Ватан в провинции Гулистан Ирана. Целью исследования было выяснить возможности оптимизации длины лесных дорог и уменьшениянегативных последствий их избыточной длины. Результаты исследования показали, что общая протяженность существующих лесных дорог составляет 36 745 км, сеть дорог охватывает 54% всей исследованной территории,ее плотность – 8,68 м га−1. Оптимальная сеть лесных дорог создавалась на основании имеющейся сети лесных дорог, протяженность которой 98,06 км, плотность – 23,17 м гa−1. Протяженность предлагаемой сети дорог составит 47,23 км, плотность – 10,87 м гa−1, она охватит 79% территории. Длина лесных дорог составит 81,04 км, а плотность – 19,15 м·гa−1. На основании измерений, проведенных с использованием ГИС, длина дорог лесной сети стала короче, а сеть более густой. В связи с этим снижаются первичные затраты на транспорт, охват леснымидорогами становится более оптимальным, увеличивается доступность.


Author(s):  
Jia-Ruey Chang ◽  
Dar-Hao Chen ◽  
Ching-Tsung Hung

Although the cost-effectiveness of preventive maintenance (PM) treatments for pavement is important, literature addressing this issue is limited. Even under the well-controlled FHWA long-term pavement performance (LTPP) study, incomplete data and sections exist. Criteria for selecting PM treatments often conflict and have to be compromised. The multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) method is one of numerous approaches available for resolving variations of results. The technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), an MCDM method, was used to analyze successfully all 14 specific pavement study (SPS)-3 sites in Texas. The distress score (DS), international roughness index (IRI), and treatment costs were used as criteria to determine the cost-effectiveness of various PM treatments (thin overlay, slurry seal, crack seal, and chip seal). With TOPSIS, the cost-effectiveness of these treatments can be quantified, with variations caused by subjective judgment thus minimized. When all criteria were considered, the most and least cost-effective methods were chip seal and slurry seal, respectively. When cost was not considered, the most and least effective methods were chip seal and crack seal, respectively. The chip seals performed the best. Chip seals had the most forgiving qualities of all the methods, and they yielded no reflection of the cracking that preceded the treatment applications. The evaluation based on TOPSIS provides a viable option for engineers determining the best PM treatments for pavement in need of maintenance.


2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. e3165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Fitzpatrick ◽  
Kingsley Asiedu ◽  
Jean Jannin
Keyword(s):  
The Road ◽  

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