Establishing optimal project-level strategies for pavement maintenance and rehabilitation – A framework and case study

Abstract

Abstract This article presents a framework and an illustrative example for identifying the optimal pavement maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) strategy using a mixed-integer nonlinear programming model. The objective function is to maximize the cost-effectiveness expressed as the ratio of the effectiveness to the cost. The constraints for the optimization problem are related to performance, budget, and choice. Two different formulations of effectiveness are derived using treatment-specific performance models for each constituent treatment of the strategy; and cost is expressed in terms of the agency and user costs over the life cycle. The proposed methodology is demonstrated using a case study. Probability distributions are established for the optimization input variables and Monte Carlo simulations are carried out to yield optimal solutions. Using the results of these simulations, M&R strategy contours are developed as a novel tool that can help pavement managers quickly identify the optimal M&R strategy for a given pavement section. Keywords: pavement management systemmaintenance and rehabilitation strategiesmonetized and non-monetized benefitslife-cycle costsoptimization Acknowledgements Data for this work was obtained at websites and published reports of the Indiana Department of Transportation. The contents of this article reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein, and do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Federal Highway Administration or the Indiana Department of Transportation, nor do the contents constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.