Pavement performance and life-cycle cost analysis

Abstract

The current practice of life-cycle cost evaluation for pavements does not take into account the differences in overall pavement serviceability performance among the alternatives considered. The solution derived from the evaluation may not be the most desirable to road users and the highway agency concerned. The need to consider pavement performance in assessing the merits of different design, maintenance, and rehabilitation strategies, together with the usual agency and user considerations, is highlighted. Two approaches for cost quantification of different pavement performance levels are suggested. One approach makes use of a quantitative performance measure, called the pavement-performance quality index, to compare the different overall pavement performances of various strategies. The other approach relies on establishing a relationship between quantitative benefits and pavement serviceability values. For each approach, the analytical framework for incorporating pavement-performance considerations into life-cycle cost analysis is outlined.