Quantifying the Impact of Pavement Diversity at the Network- Level: A Heuristic-Based Approach for Pavement Management

Abstract

Departments of transportation (DOTs) are increasingly utilizing pavement management systems for the efficient maintenance and preservation of the existing roadway system. Few studies to date, however, have considered sources of variation beyond pavement deterioration nor the implication of investing in multiple pavement materials. The goal of this study is to implement a heuristicbased model in a realistic case study so that one can understand the implication of (a) cost variation and (b) the consideration of multiple paving materials and designs on the performance of a roadway network. The model is implemented in four different scenarios for a set of 3,000 pavement segments in the state of Virginia. The four scenarios include a deterministic case using asphalt and concrete and three probabilistic scenarios that utilizes either asphalt, concrete, or both materials. From the case studies, two interesting results emerge. First, incorporating not just more pavement designs, but also including alternative paving materials, in the pavement management model increases the overall performance of the system. Second, incorporating cost uncertainty increases the advantage of investing in alternative materials, something that the current paradigms do not consider.