Pavement Reality

The below graph illustrates progressive pavement management and the difference between a preservation strategy and a rehabilitation strategy. The blue curve shows the steps taken to preserve a road over a 50-year cycle. During those 50 years, the road will see some sort of work eight different times for a total cost of $28.65 per square yard. A road not being maintained and receiving only rehabilitation treatments will need work only three times over that 50-year cycle represented by the black curve, but it will have a total cost of approximately $48 per square yard. 

In order to improve the overall road network with limited funds, a preservation strategy needs to take place. Every treatment has it’s own equivalent annual costs (EACs) that is governed by weather conditions, traffic and the market cost. By evaluating a road network by EACs you can use more cost-effective treatments to maintain and repair more lane-miles, which is key to doing as much as you can with as little amount of dollars. Each treatment’s EAC shows how cost compare when determining the best treatment while following the ‘Three Rights’. The chart below shows the cost per square yard and the estimated service life for the Town’s most commonly used treatments.

References:

Ford, Doug. “Calculation is Correct.” Roads & Bridges, April 2013, http://www.roadsbridges.com/pavement-preservation-calculation-correct. Accessed 12 September 2016.