Impact of environmental assessment and budgetary restrictions in pavement maintenance decisions: Application to an urban network

Road agencies are facing the challenges of aging pavements, deteriorating networks, and insufficient maintenance budgets. This study addresses two limitations in the current state of practice in pavement management. First, because the evaluation of maintenance strategies has traditionally focused on economic and technical aspects, it neglects the environmental impact of maintenance decisions. Second, current management systems often provide a unique, optimised pavement maintenance strategy based on a specific objective(s) and constraint(s). The main objective of the study is to analyse the effect of including environmental aspects and funding availability in the design of maintenance strategies. To achieve this objective, the study followed a three-step methodology. First, this study reviews existing practices on pavement maintenance and the criteria considered to trigger the application of maintenance treatments and their effects on pavement condition. Then, maintenance strategies are optimised considering three levels of budgetary capacity and a sustainable evaluation which incorporates technical, economic, and environmental aspects over the pavement lifecycle. Finally, a case study dealing with an urban pavement network in Chile is analysed. Results obtained from this case study show that an increment of 2% in maintenance budget allows to account for more sustainable maintenance decisions, such as cold in-place recycling and full-depth slab repair, whose greenhouse gas emissions are lower than other alternatives. Results also show that functional asphalt overlay and microsurfacing are more recommended in flexible pavements when budgetary restrictions are low, whereas recommended treatments for rigid pavements exhibit small variability with budgetary restrictions.     

温拌薄层罩面在景鹰高速公路养护工程中的应用与实践

为研究温拌沥青混合料薄层罩面施工技术,依托江西省景鹰高速公路沥青路面养护工程,优化原材料的选取,总结施工技术要点,并探究实验路段的实际施工效果,按照《公路工程沥青及沥青混合料试验规程》(JTG E20-2011),对已铺筑完成的施工路段进行摩擦系数、渗水系数和构造深度检测,结果显然,罩面施工后沥青路面的使用功能得到较好的恢复与改善。     

Impact of climate change on pavement structural performance in the United States

This study uses climate projections from multiple models and for different climate regions to investigate how climate change may impact the transportation infrastructure in the United States. Climate data from both an ensemble of 19 different climate models at both RCP8.5 and RCP4.5 as well as three individual prediction models at the same Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) levels is used. These models are integrated into the AASHTOWare Pavement ME software to predict the pavement performance. Comparisons are made between the predicted performance with respect to typical pavement distresses using both historical climate data as well as climate projection data. Though there is substantial variation for different prediction models in terms of the magnitude of the impact, the consistency in results suggest that projected climate changes are highly likely to result in greater distresses and/or earlier failure of the pavement. This finding is consistent across all the climate zones studied, but varies in magnitude of 2–9% for fatigue cracking and 9–40% for AC rutting at the end of 20 years depending on the climate region of the pavement section and prediction model used. This study also compares the impacts incorporating temperature only projections with temperature and precipitation projections. In this respect, the sections considered in this study do not show any substantial difference in the pavement performance when the precipitation data from the climate predictions are also considered in the climate inputs into AASHTOWare Pavement ME software.     

宜柳高速公路水泥砼路面预防性养护方法

文章从路基、路面、路肩、桥涵防水处治等方面,介绍了广西宜州-柳州高速公路为达成＂十年不换板＂目标而进行的水泥混凝土路面预防性养护实践,阐述了预防性养护所取得的显著效益,并对＂十年不换板＂的经验做法进行总结分析,为高速公路水泥混凝土路面养护提借参考。     

浅议高等级公路沥青路面水损害及其预防措施

水损害作为高等级公路沥青路面早期破坏的主要原因之一,严重影响公路的使用性能,增加了养护成本。文章分析了沥青路面水损害的破坏机理及其形成的主要原因,并结合工程实际,从严格控制现场空隙率、减少离析现象的发生、合理选材三个方面提出了相应的预防措施。     

Multi-objective optimization for asphalt pavement maintenance plans at project level: Integrating performance,cost and environment

Traditionally, asphalt pavement maintenance mainly considers pavement performance and cost and largely ignores the environment while substantial amount of environmental burdens are released in the process. In this study, a multi-objective optimization model was developed integrating the three elements in order to optimize the asphalt pavement maintenance plans at the project level. Pavement performance element was decided as the multiplier of pavement serviceability index and traffic volume. Cost element was represented by the net present value, including components of agency cost, vehicle operation cost and salvage value. Environmental element, integrating energy consumption, global warming potential, acidification potential and respiratory effects potential, was measured by the life cycle assessment model. A hypothetic asphalt pavement maintenance case study was conducted using the developed multi-objective optimization model and harvested 103 sets of feasible combinations of maintenance plans, each of which is non-dominated by the others. Trade-offs analysis was performed among the three objectives and visualized in both two- and three-dimension forms. It is found there is an opportunity of reducing the cost and environmental impacts to 80.3% and 77.8% and increasing the pavement performance to 146.6% compared to the base case. However, they are mutually compromised and cannot be reached simultaneously. The developed model reveals the quantitatively interactive relationship of the three objectives and helps optimize the asphalt pavement maintenance plans.     

SAWI在水泥混凝土路面薄层罩面中的应用

文章结合广清高速公路水泥混凝土薄层罩面结构设计实例,介绍了应用高弹改性沥青应力吸收层（SAWI）的水泥混凝土加铺薄沥青层的路面结构设计过程,阐述了SAWI的性能特点与施工质量控制的方法和重点,并对其实际使用性能进行了跟踪检测。结果表明：应用SAWI的水泥混凝土薄沥青层加铺技术可较好地抵抗反射裂缝,并能减少路面厚度,降低工程造价,是一项具备良好发展前景的水泥路面加铺新技术。     

A multi-year pavement maintenance program using a stochastic simulation-based genetic algorithm approach

The objective of this paper is to introduce a multi-year pavement maintenance programming methodology that can explicitly account for uncertainty in pavement deterioration. This is accomplished with the development of a simulation-based genetic algorithm (GA) approach that is capable of planning the maintenance activities over a multi-year planning period. A stochastic simulation is used to simulate the uncertainty of future pavement conditions based on the calibrated deterioration model while GA is used to handle the combinatorial nature of the network-level pavement maintenance programming. The effects of the uncertainty of pavement deterioration on the maintenance program are investigated using a case study. The results show that programming the maintenance activities using only the expected pavement conditions is likely to underestimate the required maintenance budget and overestimate the performance of pavement network.     

Constraint handling methods in pavement maintenance programming

The problem of pavement maintenance management at the network level is one of maintaining as high a level of serviceability as possible for a pavement network system through reactive and proactive repair actions, whilst optimising the use of available resources. This problem has traditionally been solved using techniques like mathematical programming and heuristic methods. Lately, the use of genetic algorithms (GAs) to solve resource allocation problems like the network pavement maintenance problem has received increased attention from researchers. GAs have been demonstrated to be better than traditional techniques in terms of solution quality and diversity. However, the performance of the GAs is affected by the method used to handle the many constraints present in the formulation of such resource allocation methods. Penalty as well as generate and repair methods are the usual techniques used to handle constraints, but these have their drawbacks in terms of computational efficiency and tendency to get trapped in sub-optimal solution spaces. The paper proposes a third method that is computationally more efficient than the previous methods. The method is based on prioritised allocation of resources to maintenance activities and the maximum utilisation of resources. Constraints on maximum resource availability are no longer used passively to check on solution feasibility (as in the previous methods) but are used to help generate feasible solutions during the resource allocation phase of the algorithm itself. It is demonstrated that the GA with the prioritised resource allocation method (PRAM) outperforms the traditional GA with repair or penalty methods. PRAM was able to consistently outperform the other two GA based methods, both in terms of solution quality as well as computational time. It is concluded that PRAM can be used as the basis of more efficient resource allocation procedures in the area of pavement maintenance management.     

旧水泥砼路面加铺沥青砼的施工技术探讨

文章通过对肇庆市国道G321线高要市小湘至封开涌口段路面大修工程实例进行分析,介绍了该路段在旧水泥混凝土路面上加铺沥青混凝土路面的设计方案、施工及质量控制方法,为此类工程提供借鉴。     

柳南路路面加铺改造方案探析

在旧水泥混凝土路面上加铺沥青面层能有效改善路面使用性能和提高承载能力、延长服务年限,是一种常用的、有效的路面修复技术。文章介绍了广西柳州至南宁高速公路原水泥路面的技术状况,通过对多种沥青加铺方案的比选论证,提出了合理可行的加铺改造方案,为类似工程提供参考。     

Incorporating socio-political criteria into the maintenance prioritization of Chilean urban pavement networks

Managing urban pavement networks presents additional challenges when compared to the management of interurban pavements. In particular, the prioritization of maintenance activities – which is critical when resources are limited – requires special considerations. Within these considerations, there are socio-political criteria that are not formally considered in current UPMS (Urban Pavement Management Systems). In practice, decision makers consider these socio-political factors but without a formal procedure and proper information, leading to decisions based on subjective information, which lack traceability and reliability.The objective of this study is the identification and formal definition – including the quantification method – of socio-political criteria relevant for the sustainable management of urban pavement networks. The research method included the application of interviews and a survey of experts and practitioners in various agencies involved in the pavement maintenance decision-making process in Chile. As a result of the study, five primary socio-political criteria were identified: neighbors’ perception, proximity to critical infrastructure, benefited population, presence of alternative routes, and strategic selection based on public policy. These criteria were formalized – including how they should be quantified – through an expert panel. A regression analysis applied to various scenarios considered in the survey resulted in the quantification of the relative importance of the formalized socio-political factors to be considered in the decision process, complementing technical and economic criteria. Future research will explore the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to quantify the recommended socio-political factors and implement them in an UPMS.     

Effect of climate change on asphalt binder selection for road construction in Italy

This work explores the influence of climate changes on the proper selection of asphalt binder for pavement construction purposes, according to the Performance Grade (PG) defined in the SUPERPAVE specifications. Based on temperature data at national level, it is possible to obtain thematic maps for the whole Italian territory, which is extremely useful for technicians and pavement engineers for selection of asphalt binder for road construction purposes. Furthermore, the statistical significant temperature trends’ knowledge enables deriving thematic maps which allows to include the effects of climate change in the asphalt binder design. It is argued that, due to climate change, the binders to be selected may be different from those commonly selected at the design stage of the infrastructure, since likely higher temperature determine more demanding constraints. The comparison among the PG grades necessary for covering the needs for construction in the different regions of Italy also call for highly performing binders, such as those obtained via specific modification with polymers. This will also imply the need for even more performing materials, in terms of mechanical properties and durability, to be used for modification of neat asphalt as well as the need for defining new specification and testing methods, specifically valid for these modified materials.     

Towards the Incorporation of Environmental Impacts into Pavement Management Systems

Environmental nuisances (such as greenhouse gases and noise) may be generated during the use phase of the pavement life cycle, with these known to significantly affect the environment. However, no attempt has yet been made to gather information concerning the processes involved in the generation of environmental impacts, and to evaluate them. To address this issue, this paper reviews the knowledge base and relevant methods relating to environmental impact assessment and pavement management. It then presents a conceptual model, integrating impact pathway approach and life cycle cost analysis principles and providing a comprehensive framework for quantification and incorporation of environmental impacts into pavement management. This study shows that pavement management influences environmental impacts occurring during the use phase of the pavement life cycle. It establishes causal links between pavement management and nuisance generation, between nuisances and their impact on receptors, and finally between these impacts and their costs. This study also suggests that incorporating environmental impacts into pavement management systems is feasible and describes how existing and future methodologies and tools may be integrated to support this incorporation. Finally, this study underlines that the inaccuracy of current knowledge and data limits the scope of this conceptual model to network-level decisions.     

A multi criteria decision analysis technique for including environmental impacts in sustainable infrastructure management business practices

This paper presents a decision analysis technique to allow highway agencies to assess the tradeoffs between costs, condition and energy consumption. It is shown how the entire feasible solution space can be evaluated between multiple stakeholders with differing values to assess the desirability of the outcomes resulting from infrastructure management decisions. Furthermore, an example network-level analysis is presented using data from the Virginia Department of Transportation. The example analysis clearly shows a tradeoff between the most cost effective outcomes (i.e., minimizing the cost divided by the condition) and the outcomes where the energy consumption is minimized, and how decision analysis should account for this tradeoff. The results of the method presented in this paper show that various pavement management alternatives can be represented in terms of desirability, and that this desirability can assist the decision maker with making decisions about performance goals and targets.     

A380-800飞机荷载作用下复合道面的结构响应分析

为了分析机场复合道面结构在新一代大型飞机多轮荷载作用下的力学响应规律,文章以A380-800飞机为例,应用大型通用有限元程序ABAQUS建立了复合道面结构三维有限元模型,分析了多轮荷载不同组合方式作用下道面结构的力学响应。通过计算不同布载形式下道面结构的疲劳寿命,并结合应力的分布规律,得出结论:复合道面在多轮荷载作用下产生空间叠加效应;A380-800可采用3轴双轮6轮组作为道面结构设计时的最不利荷载组合;当考虑空间叠加效应时,15 m×15 m的模型尺寸是合理的。     

水泥混凝土路面病害综合处治技术初探与实践

文章结合广西桂林至柳州高速公路工程,介绍了水泥混凝土路面存在的主要病害与发展趋势,从设计、交通量、施工、养护管理、自然环境方面分析了水泥混凝土路面的损坏原因,提出了针对性的水泥混凝土路面综合处治技术。工程实践证明,综合处治技术的成功应用,可有效延长路面的使用寿命。     

Expert systems in pavement management

This paper discusses the potential application of expert systems, a new information technology derived from artificial intelligence research, to pavement management. The principal focus concerns the development of such knowledge-based or expert systems for project-level analysis and design of pavement rehabilitation strategies. Particular emphasis is placed on the needs of locally managed highway systems, although many of the concepts are also more broadly applicable. The paper provides a brief overview of the evolution and application of expert systems. Several major issues in pavement management are discussed which strongly suggest the appropriateness of expert systems approaches. These issues include the role of computerized pavement management systems, the acquisition of pavement performance data and current procedures for pavement structural evaluation and design. Current research on PARADIGM, an integrated set of expert systems for pavement rehabilitation decision-making, is described. Finally, a PARADIGM component system consisting of an operational prototype expert system for pavement surface condition evaluation, is presented as an example.     

高速公路路面病害维修方案分析

文章结合津汕高速公路滨博路段工程维修实例,从设计与环境、施工、材料等方面分析了高速公路路面病害的成因,提出了针对车辙、裂缝、坑槽、龟裂、桥面推移和伸缩缝水泥混凝土破裂等路面病害的维修方案。     

国内外最新公路路面智能检测技术

公路路面检测数据是路面使用性能评价和养护管理决策的基础,探讨了公路路面智能检测技术未来可能的发展方向,介绍了国内外公路路面智能检测技术发展的现状并指出了存在的问题。