Pavement assessment

Here are a few key ways that pavement performance is assessed:

- Ride quality - Instruments like inertial profilers and road roughness meters are used
to measure various aspects of a pavement's smoothness and ride comfort. Metrics
like the International Roughness Index (IRI) are calculated.

- Surface distress - Visual inspections and ratings are done to quantify the amount of
various types of surface defects like cracking, potholes, rutting. Pavement condition
index values can be assigned.

- Structural capacity - Nondestructive test methods like falling weight deflectometers

are used to estimate the structural integrity and load bearing capacity of pavement
layers.

- Friction - Specialized equipment measures the pavement's frictional resistance on

wet and dry surfaces, which relates to braking and control safety.

- Noise - Acoustic sensors are placed near roadsides to quantify tire-pavement noise
generation on different surface types.

- Drainage - Visual inspection and water flow testing determines how well the
pavement transports stormwater off the driving surface.

- Reflectivity - Retroreflectometers measure nighttime visibility related characteristics

like pavement markings and reflectivity.

Combined ratings from all these factors are used to determine overall pavement
condition, functional/structural capacity, maintenance/repair strategies, and safety.
Tracking performance over time is key.

Pavement life cycle

Here is an overview of how the pavement life cycle can be theorized and depicted on
a graph:
The pavement life cycle refers to the condition or performance level of a pavement
over time, from its initial construction to failure/end of life. It can be divided into
phases:

1. Construction (Initial Condition)

2. Early Service Life
3. Mid Service Life
4. Late Service Life
5. Reconstruction/Rehabilitation
6. Subsequent Early Life after rehab
7. Failure
On a graph, the vertical axis typically shows the pavement condition, often indicated
by a metric like Pavement Condition Index (PCI) or Surface Rating (SR). The
horizontal axis tracks time over the analysis period.

The theorized pavement life cycle curve would start at a maximum PCI/SR after new
construction, then gradually decline over time as the effects of traffic loading and
environmental factors take effect.

The mid-service life shows an increasing deterioration rate until repaving

rehabilitation occurs, spiking condition back up and starting a subsequent early
service life stage. This cycle would repeat until the terminal condition is reached, and
PCI/SR rapidly decreases to failure, warranting major reconstruction.

Thus, on a pavement life cycle deterioriation curve plot, there would be an

observable cyclic pattern - gradual decline and rebound, decline and rebound - until
eventual failure where PCI/SR plummets. The goal is to push rehabilitation to extend
total life and serviceability as long as cost-effective. Real-world data can be plotted
and studied using this theorized model as a guide. The overall shape would display
the deterioration, preservation, and terminal pathways.

Evaluations for pavement's structural capacity and safety

Here are some of the key ways that pavement structural capacity and safety are
evaluated:

Structural Capacity:

- Deflection Testing: Nondestructive deflection tests like Falling Weight

Deflectometer (FWD) are used to estimate layer and subgrade moduli and determine
structural capacity. A pavement's ability to handle loads is quantified.

- Dynamic Cone Penetrometer: This tests in-situ strength of subsurface pavement

layers. Weaker areas prone to failure can be identified.

- Test Pits & Coring: Allows visual inspection and lab testing (compressive strength,
stiffness, etc.) of actual pavement cores and materials. Indicates structural integrity.

- Ground Penetrating Radar: Provides data on layer thicknesses and uniformity,

critical for evaluating structural capacity.

Safety:

- Friction Testing: Devices like locked wheel skid trailer determine pavement friction
coefficient. Adequate friction is critical for vehicle maneuvering/braking.

- Rutting Measurement: Excessive rut depths hold water and cause hydroplaning.
Rut depth profiles are checked.

- Surface Condition Ratings: Severity and extent of cracking, ravelling, and

deformations compromise vehicle control. Quantitative condition surveys are used.

- Drainage Assessment: Verifies water flows off driving surfaces properly and does
not pond. Prevent hydroplaning risk.

The data from above tests feed analytical structural models and safety performance
indices to determine if intervention is needed to maintain operational integrity and
safety.

Pavement quality
Here are some of the key methods used to determine pavement quality:

1. Visual Condition Surveys: Trained raters perform detailed visual inspections of the
pavement surface and visually rate the type, severity, and extent of different
distresses like cracking, potholes, patching, rutting according to established criteria.
These visual assessments can be quantified into condition scores or indices.

2. Ride Quality Testing: Standardized equipment like an inertial profilometer or road

roughness meter are used to quantify roughness and ride comfort. Common metrics
include the International Roughness Index (IRI), Ride Number (RN), and Profile
Index (PI). Tolerances exist for acceptable levels.

3. Friction Testing: Devices like locked wheel skid trailers or dynamic friction testers
measure the force required to slide a standardized rubber wheel over the pavement
surface. The pavement friction NUMBER or coefficient quantifies slippery or unsafe
conditions.

4. Structural Capacity Testing: Nondestructive deflection testing determines the

structural integrity and strength of the underlying pavement layers using equipment
like Falling Weight Deflectometers. Can indicate load bearing capacity issues.

5. Noise Measurement: Roadside noise measurement systems can quantify tire-

pavement noise generation levels. Specifications may exist for allowable noise limits
depending on adjacent land use.

Pavement quality testing combines surface condition assessments, ride and friction
safety checks, with structural capacity verification to deliver an overall quality rating.
Pavement management systems track key indicators over the life cycle.
Measures
Here are some of the key measures used for assessing pavement quality by
highway authorities in India:

1. Surface Roughness - Measured by the Roughness Index (RI) or Riding Comfort

Index (RCI) using bump integrator devices. Classifies roughness as good, fair, poor
based on index ranges.

2. Surface Defects - Visual condition surveys quantify cracks, potholes, patches,

rutting and other distresses using rating scales like the Pavement Condition Index
(PCI).

3. Skid Resistance - Friction coefficient or British Pendulum Number (BPN) values

determined through friction testing. Minimum 35 BPN recommended, above 45
considered very good.

4. Structural Strength - Load carrying capacity evaluated through Benkelman Beam

deflection studies. Pavement Classification Number (PCN) assigned.

5. Layer Thicknesses - Checks wearing course, base, sub-base thickness using test
pits. Compared to design standards like IRC 37.

6. Raveling - Visual inspection quantifies raveling depth as percentage of aggregate

loss from surface.

7. Conformity to Design Geometrics - Field measurements of cross slope, camber,

super-elevation for conformance.

8. Drainage Efficiency - Flood tests check water drainage rate off pavement surface
without ponding.

Specifications by the Indian Roads Congress (IRC) guide acceptable standards for
these quality measures on national and state highways. Routine evaluations help
assess maintenance needs.

Model development for deterioration

Here are the main steps in developing pavement deterioration models:

1. Identify Distress Parameters

Determine relevant pavement distress parameters to model - common examples are
cracking, rutting, roughness (IRI), surface friction. Narrow down based on data
availability, monitoring importance, and ability to direct maintenance.

2. Data Collection over Time

Collect periodic inspection data for chosen distress parameters on road segments
through visual surveys, equipment-based measurements, sensors etc. Provide multi-
year view of deterioration progression.

3. Model Variable Selection

Gather data on factors impacting deterioration - traffic volumes and loads, climate
and environmental conditions, pavement age, structure info. Will become predictor
variables.

4. Propose Deterioration Models

Hypothesize model forms linking distress (dependent variable) to predictors like
pavement age, traffic, climate. Common model types used are linear, power,
exponential, Markov chains. May need multiple models per distress type.

5. Estimate Model Parameters

Estimate coefficients, exponents etc. for hypothesized models using collected multi-
year data. Determine significance through statistical techniques. Refine models into
final form.

6. Model Testing and Validation

Test model with additional data not used in development. Evaluate accuracy.
Confirm proper functioning through these independent validation checks.

The output from this process is statistically sound, locally-calibrated deterioration

models that can predict pavement life progression for maintenance planning.

Rehabilitation techniques
Here is a more detailed overview of some common rehabilitation and maintenance
techniques used for pavements in India:

Rehabilitation Techniques

1. Bituminous Overlays
- Tack Coat application
- Leveling course with open graded premix
- Dense bituminous concrete layer
- Key steps are pavement evaluation, choice of overlay thickness design, material
selection, tack coat selection, handling rutting and cracking.

2. Cold In-Place Recycling

- Milling existing pavement
- Sieving and addition of recycling agents
- Relaying the cold mix with paver
- New wearing course atop rebuilt layer
- Restores structural capacity, addresses extensive cracking/rutting
3. Full Depth Reclamation
- Pulverizing existing flexible pavement with special equipment
- Addition of binders, stabilizing agents
- Compaction and relaying
- Followed by overlays
-Addresses major structural failure, extensive deterioration

Maintenance Techniques

1. Fog Sealing/Rejuvenators
- Rejuvenating agents injected into aged asphalt mix
- Seals fine cracks, restores mix flexibility
- Low viscosity sealant spray application

2. Crack Sealing and Cutting

- Cleaning and preparing non-working cracks
- Applying specialized sealant materials
- Arrests water ingress and damage

3. Pothole Patching
- Excavating failed areas
- Placing backfill mix material
- Compacting in layers to finish level
- Restores ride quality, arrests further ravelling

I hope this expanded overview helps provide more details on pavement rehabilitation
and maintenance approaches used for Indian conditions.

Maintainance
Here are some of the common rehabilitation and maintenance strategies adopted for
roads and pavements in India:

Maintenance Strategies:

1. Microsurfacing - Applying specialized thin polymer modified slurry seal surface

treatment to fill cracks, rutting and oxidized surfaces. Restores good surface texture.

2. Surface Treatments - Single or double layer chip seal (BSGSS), sand seals, fog
seals used as cost-effective preventative maintenance to enhance waterproofing,
surface friction.

3. Joint/Drainage Cleaning - Cleaning choked side drains, median openings,

expansion joints before monsoon to facilitate drainage. Avoids waterlogging risks.

4. Crack Sealing - As maintenance measure to minimize water ingress through non-

critical thermal cracks. Arrests progression of deterioration.
The strategies chosen depends on distress type, severity, traffic levels, climate zone
and costs. Combinations are commonly adopted for enhanced pavement
preservation.