Exploring the Benefits of Pavement Preservation
Pavement Preservation: A Data-Driven Science
Applying the right preservation treatment at the right time with quality materials and techniques is a critical approach to maintaining roads and optimizing infrastructure performance.
Whether your road network is made of asphalt, concrete, or composite materials, wear and tear from traffic and environmental factors will inevitably cause deterioration. A well-planned pavement preservation strategy can slow this process and extend the lifespan of roadways.
When treatment is applied correctly and on schedule, using top-quality materials, it offers a proven, cost-effective solution for maintaining pavement condition. This approach ensures smoother and safer roads for residential and commercial users while reducing the need for expensive repairs.
Just as pavement materials vary, preservation strategies also differ. A range of analyses, treatments, and construction methods are available to help agencies maintain their road networks in good condition with fewer costly interventions.
In this article, we’ll explore pavement preservation and the practical, cost-saving benefits a data-driven maintenance strategy provides to agencies.
The Right Treatment for the Right Road at the Right Time
A pavement preservation strategy involves applying low-cost treatments to specific road segments every few years. These treatments target roads that are still in good condition to prevent further deterioration. When applied early, inexpensive treatments can protect the pavement by keeping water out, preventing asphalt oxidation, and maintaining skid resistance, ultimately extending the road’s lifespan.
Why Roads Deteriorate
From the moment roads are built, they begin to deteriorate. Factors such as water exposure, freeze-thaw cycles, heat, sunlight, and traffic loads contribute to this process. Pavement typically performs well for a portion of its lifespan, but deterioration accelerates over time, eventually leading to road failure. At this point, rehabilitation or full reconstruction becomes necessary.
Pavement preservation is as essential to roads as oil changes are to vehicles. “Changing the oil” of a roadway at the right time can extend its life by four to five years. Neglected roads will underperform, showing signs such as cracking and raveling—when the binder becomes brittle and aggregate is lost.
This predictable lifecycle highlights the importance of adopting a data-driven road maintenance strategy to keep roadways performing at their best.
Taking a Proactive Approach
With limited funding for road maintenance, pavement preservation has proven to be a highly cost-effective solution. Studies show that every dollar invested in roadway treatments can save $6 to $10 in future rehabilitation costs. This strategy helps agencies maintain safety, ride quality, and traffic flow while protecting the long-term value of infrastructure investments.
Step One: Assessing the Grade
Data-Driven Road Maintenance begins with precise data collection. Accurate measurements allow roads to be graded using the Pavement Condition Index (PCI), a 100-point scale that evaluates roadway performance. Each PCI range corresponds to specific preservation strategies:
PCI 80–100: Roads in good condition benefit from “top-of-the-curve” treatments like maltene-based asphalt rejuvenation.
PCI 70–80: These roads may require more involved treatments, such as asphalt-emulsion seal coats or micro-surfacing.
PCI 50–60: Roads in this range often need a mill-and-overlay approach to address moderate wear.
PCI below 50: Structural issues are likely, and rehabilitation rather than preservation becomes necessary.
Gathering accurate PCI data is the cornerstone of extending roadway life. By understanding a road’s grade, agencies can identify the most effective treatment plan, ensuring resources are used efficiently and effectively.
The Science of Pavement Preservation
Over the last 50 years, roadway systems have grown significantly, accompanied by increased traffic volumes. This has highlighted the need to maximize and sustain long-term performance, maintenance, and preservation of road infrastructure.
Historically, agencies prioritized construction and major rehabilitation projects, often neglecting performance and preservation. While some agencies experimented with treatments in specific locations, these efforts were not part of a structured, systemwide strategy. However, many of these projects demonstrated that applying the right treatment could significantly extend pavement life at a relatively low cost.
Today, the guiding principle of pavement preservation is to “keep good roads good.” By implementing high-quality treatments and strategies while roads are still in satisfactory condition, agencies can slow deterioration, extend service life, and enhance functionality in a cost-effective manner. These efforts also improve safety and increase user satisfaction.
When applied at the right time, pavement preservation strategies can deliver a return on investment of at least 200 to 300 percent. For roadways that qualify, the science is clear - pavement preservation treatments are a proven method for extending the lifespan of roadway networks.
Transmap is a nationwide provider of professional pavement, roadway, and asset management support services to cities, counties, and municipalities. Using our advanced technologies, we provide excellent customer service and robust full analysis. We are dedicated to maintaining this high standard of data quality while also reducing data collection costs for our clients.
To learn more, contact our main office in Columbus, OH at (614) 810–1235.
