CHANGING CHARACTER OF PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE

SOME OF THE CHANGES ARE EXAMINED IN POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE COST TRENDS OF HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE IN VIRGINIA AND THE IMPLICATIONS DISCUSSED OF THE COST TRENDS TO MANAGEMENT IN MAKING DECISIONS REGARDING SURFACE MAINTENANCE. THE TRENDS IN COST PER MILE FOR ORDINARY MAINTENANCE, MAINTENANCE REPLACEMENT, AND TOTAL SURFACE MAINTENANCE FOR THE FISCAL YEARS 1953-54 THROUGH 1967-78 ARE SHOWN. APPROXIMATELY 95 PER CENT OF THE RESURFACING ON THE SECONDARY HIGHWAY SYSTEM IS CHIP SEAL, WHICH AT BASE-YEAR PRICES COSTS APPROXIMATELY $1,000 PER MILE. APPROXIMATELY 20 PER CENT OF THE SECONDARY MILEAGE IS BEING SEALED, WHICH OFFERS A DECREASE IN THE AMOUNT SPENT PER MILE FOR ORDINARY MAINTENANCE. IF A FIVE- YEAR RETREATMENT MAINTENANCE CYCLE IS CONTINUED, THE TOTAL COSTS ARE GOING TO INCREASE. THE COST INDEX FOR ORDINARY MAINTENANCE IS INCREASING MUCH FASTER THAN THE COST INDEX FOR MAINTENANCE REPLACEMENT WHICH REPRESENTS MOSTLY CONTRACT WORK. A CONTINUING EMPHASIS ON EFFICIENCY OF ORDINARY MAINTENANCE CAN KEEP TOTAL SURFACE COSTS FROM INCREASING. INFORMATION IS BEING ACCUMULATED FOR FISCAL ACCOUNTING RECORDS ON THE PRODUCITIVITY OF WORK CREWS, UNIT COST OF PLACING A TON OF MATERIAL, AND THE NUMBER OF TONS OF PATCHING MATERIAL PLACED. IT IS HOPED THAT RELATIONSHIP CAN BE DEVELOPED BETWEEN TONS OF STONE USED FOR PATCHING AND THE FREQUENCY OF RESURFACING. BY APPLYING UNIT COSTS, THE RELATIONSHIP CAN BE DEVELOPED THAT IS MOST ECONOMICAL, AND ALSO RELATIONSHIPS WHERE ECONOMY IS SECONDARY TO REDUCING LABOR REQUIREMENTS ON ROUTINE MAINTENANCE.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1969/298/298-002.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper sponsored by Committee on Maintenance Management. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Leigh, C O
• Publication Date: 1969

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: pp 10-12
• Monograph Title: Maintenance practices 1968: performance budgeting, pavement maintenance, and winter maintenance
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 298
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Businesses; Chippings; Decision making; Economic development; Epoxides; Equipment replacement; Highway maintenance; Maintenance management; Maintenance personnel; Patching; Pavement maintenance; Planning; Resurfacing; Seal coats; Surface treating; Unit costs
• Uncontrolled Terms: Maintenance costs; Replacement
• Old TRIS Terms: Chips; Epoxy; Maintenance administration
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00218564
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 9 1970 12:00AM