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0-6683-1 Report Abstract

A Methodology to Support the Development of 4-Year Pavement Management Plan

Nasir G. Gharaibeh, Paul Narciso, Youngkwon Cha, Jeongho Oh, Jose Rafael Menendez, Samer Dessouky, and Andrew Wimsatt, July, 2014

A methodology for forming and prioritizing pavement maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) projects was developed. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) can use this methodology to generate defensible and cost-effective 4-year pavement management plans (PMPs). The developed methodology was implemented in a web-based software tool for evaluation by TxDOT personnel. This tool can potentially be used in the future by TxDOT to generate 4-year PMPs for individual districts and the statewide network. Key components of this methodology are:

  • Methods for grouping data collection sections into pavement management sections (potential M&R projects).
  • Pavement performance prediction models.
  • Methods for measuring performance benefits and life-cycle costs of alternative M&R types and projects.
  • A method for prioritizing competing M&R projects using an incremental benefits-cost analysis.
  • Analysis of the impact of funding scenarios on network condition throughout the planning period.

Projects are prioritized considering multiple factors that are deemed important by TxDOT’s districts. These factors and their importance weights were identified using a web-based survey of TxDOT’s districts. The methodology was tested and validated for Bryan, Fort Worth, and Lubbock Districts. The results highlight the potential of the developed methodology to improve pavement management planning by incorporating district priorities, producing cost-effective pavement management plans, and providing insights into the impact of these plans on the network condition.

Keywords: Pavement Management, Pavement Performance Prediction, Maintenance and Rehabilitation Planning, Project Prioritization

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