The Principals of Pavement Management

Pavement Management Principles

With limited funding for maintaining road networks, implementing a Pavement Management System (PMS) is the most effective way to maximize return on investment (ROI).

Pavement management uses a structured, systemic approach to extend the lifespan of roads in towns, counties, and municipalities. It optimizes often limited budgets by incorporating all aspects of pavement care, including planning, budgeting, funding, design, construction, monitoring, evaluation, maintenance, rehabilitation, and reconstruction.

An efficient pavement management program identifies and applies the most cost-effective Maintenance and Rehabilitation (M&R) strategies. By proactively addressing repairs before roads deteriorate to poor condition, municipalities can significantly reduce repair and maintenance costs, potentially saving millions of dollars and avoiding wasteful spending.

In this post, we’ll cover the fundamentals of pavement management, from collecting roadway data to crafting strategies for maintaining and repairing roadways at lower annual costs.

The Pavement Management Process

The Pavement Management Process involves three distinct steps: System Configuration, Field Collection, and Analysis and Reporting.

System Configuration

The process begins by identifying all roadways within a project's scope and assigning each a unique identifier. These roadway sections are categorized by their physical attributes, including length, width, pavement type, and classification.

System configuration also involves linking the network to a GIS map.

Field Collection

At Transmap, we integrate Agency GIS data into our mapping system to enhance data accuracy. Once configured, maps are loaded into the system, and mobile field data collection begins. This step involves driving each roadway and gathering detailed distress and condition data.

Surface Distress

Using advanced tools like the Pavemetrics Laser Crack Measurement System (LCMS) and 3D pavement imaging technology, surface distress is detected, identified, and geotagged. Distresses such as alligator cracking, block cracking, rutting, bleeding, edge damage, and other issues are captured segment-by-segment. Distress type and extent are documented.

Severity Assessment

After identifying the distress, the severity is categorized as low, moderate, or high. The records include detailed metrics such as the number of potholes, square footage, and specific crack lengths. All distress data is identified and formatted using ASTM standards.

Additional geotagged data such as pavement width, pavement type, GPS coordinates, and high-resolution digital images are collected.

Analysis and Reporting

The collected data is processed and analyzed to generate a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) report. The PCI is a distress-based rating system (ASTM D6433 standard) that consolidates factors such as distress type, severity, and extent into a single numerical score representing the overall condition of a specific pavement segment. Higher PCI scores indicate better pavement condition.

PCI Condition Ratings:

86–100: Good — Little to no maintenance required.

71–85: Satisfactory — Routine maintenance needed.

41–70: Fair to Poor — Requires structural overlay.

26–40: Very Poor — Significant distress; reconstruction recommended.

11–25: Serious — Extensive damage; reconstruction required.

0–10: Failed — Immediate reconstruction is necessary.

This systematic approach helps efficiently prioritize maintenance and rehabilitation efforts.

Creating a Pavement Management Strategy

The primary goal of collecting and analyzing pavement data is to help agencies develop a proactive plan for maintaining roadway assets. A Pavement Management System (PMS) provides valuable insights that can justify funding requests and effectively prioritize maintenance efforts. Tools like the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) and GIS-based maps enable agencies to systematically organize maintenance strategies to maximize return on investment (ROI).

By leveraging collected data, agencies can:

Identify current and future Maintenance and Rehabilitation (M&R) needs.

Select cost-effective repair strategies based on pavement conditions.

Justify budget requests with detailed and transparent pavement inventory reports.

Roadway maintenance is often one of the largest expenditures for local governments. According to the American Public Works Association (APWA), pavement reconstruction costs average $1.56 million per mile. With a well-defined, long-term pavement management strategy and a proactive approach, costs can be significantly reduced, delivering a higher ROI and ensuring more efficient use of public funds.

Components of Pavement Management

The pavement management process involves several key components, all of which rely on accurate and actionable data to guide decisions. These components include:

Creating a Pavement Network Inventory - Developing GIS and GPS data and maps to organize and document roadway assets.

Data Collection and Analysis -Gathering current roadway data to calculate the Pavement Condition Index (PCI), a numerical representation of pavement condition.

Performing a Condition Analysis - Analyzing current and future pavement conditions based on the collected data and models.

Developing Deterioration Models - Using the PCI to create pavement condition deterioration models, known as "Family Curves," to predict how conditions will change over time.

Determining Maintenance and Repair (M&R) Needs - Identifying specific M&R strategies based on the condition analysis to address present and anticipated issues.

Work Planning - Evaluating different budget scenarios to understand their impact on pavement conditions and better prioritize projects.

Finalizing Decisions and Budgets - Allocating budgets and formulating projects based on budget availability, analysis, and strategic goals.

By following these steps, agencies can make data-driven decisions to maintain and improve roadway networks efficiently and cost-effectively.

In Conclusion

Pavement management is a systematic and proactive method for preserving roadway assets. It encompasses key steps such as identifying the physical network, creating GIS maps, and conducting mobile data collection and analysis. This approach enables agencies to:

Identify pavement distress.

Develop a Pavement Condition Index (PCI).

Optimize repair fund allocation for maximum return on investment.

The foundation of pavement management is accurate and actionable data. To create effective budgets and comprehensive Maintenance and Rehabilitation (M&R) plans, agencies must fully understand the process and know how to analyze and interpret the data.

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.