Consequences of delayed maintenance of pavement networks

Abstract

Pavement networks must preserve an acceptable level of service to sustain the economic, social, and environmental development of society. The preservation of pavements is only possible when timely maintenance actions are conducted on a regular basis. Delayed maintenance can cause significant impacts on the pavement network but a systematic procedure to quantify this impact is required. This paper describes the application of a framework to quantify the consequences of delayed maintenance of pavement networks. In this framework, a pavement preservation policy is defined, and performance objectives are established. Maintenance treatments and budget needs are identified based on the pavement condition. A case study is used to demonstrate the impact of delayed maintenance of three pavement networks at different conditions (Good, Fair, Poor) at the beginning of the analysis. A number of maintenance scenarios are analyzed for these pavement networks: all needs, do nothing, delayed maintenance treatments by 2 years, and budget-driven with limited funds for maintenance. The trends observed in the pavement network condition, total agency costs, backlog costs, and remaining life as a result of the analysis were similar for the three pavement networks, although the impact is higher for pavement networks in fair and poor condition. In a broader perspective, delayed maintenance may affect not only pavement condition, but also mobility, safety, transportation agency and user’s costs over time.