A Statewide Pavement Management System.

Golabi, Kamal; Kulkarni, Ram B.; Way, George B.

This article reports on the development of pavement management system for production of optimal maintenance policies for network of highways in Arizona. The system recommends the best maintenance action for each mile of the 7,400-mile network of highways, and specifies the minimum funds required to carry out the maintenance program. The Markov decision model, on which the system is based, considers both long-term and short-term objectives, as well as such factors as physical road condition, traffic densities, environmental characteristics, and types of road. Until the mid 1970s, Arizona Department of Transport and its predecessor, the Arizona Highway Department, focused on constructing new roads. As the interstate system in Arizona neared completion, emphasis shifted from new construction to preserving existing roads. Several factors contributed to this shift: the network of highways was nearing completion and no extensive new construction was planned; at the same time, the existing highways were aging and required an increasing amount of maintenance to preserve the roads in satisfactory condition.

ARIZONA; PAVEMENT design & construction; ROAD maintenance; ARIZONA. Dept. of Transportation; MARKOV processes; STOCHASTIC processes; DIFFUSION processes

Interfaces, 1982, Vol 12, Issue 6, p5

1526-551X

Academic Journal

10.1287/inte.12.6.5