Inception report. Research concepts and procedures (Report I)

Abstract

A research project is underway in Brazil to develop mathematical models for highway planning. Cost models will be developed relating highway construction, maintenance and utilization. The 42-month project began in September 1975. This initial project report describes the background and previous work in the areas as well as the concepts and proposed methodology for the research. Three basic activities are proposed and described: 1) a series of road user costs surveys to determine operating costs in Brazil, 2) road user and traffic experiments torelate speed and fuel consumption and 3) pavement performance and maintenance experiments. All of these studies will relate construction,maintenance and utilization costs to road construction and design standards, and pavement performance and maintenance. Analysis of results will incorporate previous work sponsored by the World Bank and results of a Transportation Road Research Laboratory study in Kenya. The first results of the current study are expected in 1977. The project is sponsored by the Brazilian Ministry of Transport and the United Nations Development Program. Key words: Highways, highways costs, World Bank, pavement performance, maintenance·, vehicle operating costs, user cost, road user cost, speed, fuel consumption, traffic, United Nation Development Program, GEIPOT, Brazil.