RELIABILITY OF HIGHWAY PAVEMENTS

Abstract

IN A CONTEXT OF SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF HIGHWAY PAVEMENT SYSTEMS, THE CONCEPT OF RELIABILITY AS A DESIGN QUANTITY IS PRESENTED. RELIABILITY IS A MEASURE OF THE PROBABILITY THAT A PAVEMENT WILL PROVIDE SATISFACTORY SERVICE TO THE USER THROUGHOUT ITS DESIGN SERVICE LIFE. THE PREDICTION OF RELIABILITY AND ITS USE IN PROVIDING ECONOMICALLY EFFICIENT PAVEMENTS REQUIRES CONSIDERATION OF ALL ASPECTS OF SERVICE LIFE. A MATHEMATICAL STATEMENT OF RELIABILITY IS DISCUSSED FOR ITS MEANING TO PAVEMENT DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT, AND SOME METHODS OF APPLICATION ARE SUGGESTED TO DEMONSTRATE RELIABILITY COMPUTATION AS AN OPERABLE AND USEFUL TECHNIQUE. IN PARTICULAR, MONTE CARLO SIMULATION AND MARKOV MODELS ARE USED AS EXAMPLES OF USEFUL METHODS TO BE APPLIED. /AUTHOR/