Determining Initial Service Life for LCCA Using Comparable IRI as One of the Criteria

The objective of this report is twofold: (1) to estimate initial service life for flexible and rigid pavements using a common International Roughness Index (IRI) criterion, and (2) to provide recommendations for using IRI as one of the criteria to determine initial service life of each pavement type for life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA). Data from the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program standard data release (SDR) 28 were utilized for analyses. Specifically, IRI data, recorded maintenance and rehabilitation activities, and pavement age from pavement sections in LTPP General Pavement Studies (GPS) were employed. In summary, this study shows that a common IRI threshold can be used in conjunction with other performance measures to determine the initial service life of asphalt concrete (AC) and portland cement concrete (PCC) pavements for LCCA, as it satisfies the assumption in LCCA that equal levels of functional performance or user benefits are achieved with each pavement alternative. An analysis of the LTPP data suggests that (1) a common Mean IRI (MRI) threshold of 120 in./mile can be used for this purpose; and (2) a performance measure threshold of 170 in./mile is too high to be used as a threshold for the first intervention because most AC and PCC pavements in the LTPP program were rehabilitated before reaching this level. The initial service lives determined based on the LTPP data using an MRI threshold of 120 in./mile are similar for AC and PCC pavements.

• Record URL:
  http://eng.auburn.edu/research/centers/ncat/files/technical-reports/rep19-06.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  National Center for Asphalt Technology

  Auburn University
  277 Technology Parkway
  Auburn, AL  United States  36830

  State Asphalt Pavement Associations

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Robbins, Mary
  • Tran, Nam
• Publication Date: 2019-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 41p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Flexible pavements; Life cycle costing; Rigid pavements; Service life
• Identifier Terms: General Pavement Studies (Long-Term Pavement Performance Program); International Roughness Index; Long-Term Pavement Performance Program; Strategic Highway Research Program
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01720281
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: NCAT Report 19-06
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 23 2019 4:26PM