Framework for Selecting Effective Preventive Maintenance Treatments for Flexible Pavements

Abstract

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.

Indiana Pavement Preservation Program

“…For partial and full-depth repairs, the triggers tend to be more severe than those for crack seals and joint repairs. This is consistent to current recommendations and research findings found in other research studies (Hicks et al, 1997;Smith et al, 2008). …”

Life Cycle Cost Analysis for INDOT Pavement Design Procedures

“…Advantages of decision trees include the flexibility to modify the decision criteria (treatment types and timings), the capability to generate consistent recommendations, and the relative ease with which the selection process can be explained and programmed. Hicks et al [1997] state that decision trees can be used effectively in the selection/identification of suitable preventive maintenance treatments as well as routine preservation and rehabilitation options.…”

“…In a study that evaluated the effectiveness of various preventive maintenance strategies, effectiveness was measured on the basis of equivalent annual cost of the strategy and the extra service life as a benefit [Hicks et al, 1997]. A decision model was developed that allows users to assign weights not only to material costs and service life benefits, but also to other cost and benefit factors that suit the needs of the decision-maker.…”

“…The potential for hydroplaning and wet weather accidents is significantly increased. Hicks et al, [1997] also provided various versions of decision trees for preventive maintenance treatment selection. Some of these variations independently address pavement roughness, rutting, cracking, and raveling/weathering.…”

Using genetic algorithms for long-term planning of network of bridges

“…Decision tree and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) are the main tools used in this category of maintenance planning models. For example, Hicks et al [6] use a decision tree-based method for selecting the appropriate preventive maintenance activities for different types of asphalt distress. For this method, they initially list different asphalt distress types and then evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the available maintenance activities based on the decision tree technique.…”