RESEARCH PAYS OFF--ARIZONA DOT ADOPTS PMS AND SAVES A BUNDLE

The Pavement Management System (PMS), devised by Woodward-Clyde Consultants for Arizona DOT, was first applied to the 1980-1981 highway preservation program after cost estimates for the fiscal year-had been determined by the previous process. The PMS process resulted in the substitution of a $32 million preservation program for the $46 million program developed by pre-PMS methods. The $14 million saved and subsequently spent on other highway-related projects occurred due to two factors. First, the tendency had been to allow the pavements to deteriorate to a rather poor condition before preservation action was taken. However, analysis shows that less substantial but slightly more frequent preventative measures keep the pavements in good condition most of the time at less overall cost than more substantial and costly corrective measures. Second, past corrective actions were often quite conservative, i.e., involving asphaltic concrete resurfacing of up to 5 in, based on the assumption that the thicker layer would ensure a longer period of time before the pavement deteriorated to unacceptable standards. The PMS prediction models indicate that there is no significant difference between the rate of deterioration of pavements resurfaced with 3 in and 5 in of asphaltic concrete.

Media Info

  • Pagination: p. 11
  • Serial:
    • TR News
    • Issue Number: 107
    • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
    • ISSN: 0738-6826

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00378497
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS, TRB
  • Created Date: Dec 30 1983 12:00AM