Enhancement of Arizona Pavement Management System for Construction and Maintenance Activities

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has used Markovian chain–based pavement management systems (PMS) to support its pavement design, construction, and preservation activities for three decades. These systems provide a strong tool for pavement network optimization. However, the probabilistic nature of the Markovian chain model means that the systems lack the flexibility to consider the distinct conditions associated with individual pavement projects or sections. Recently, a new PMS has been developed and implemented to replace the previous PMS through a research project funded by ADOT. The new system was designed to expand the use of PMS tools to support pavement design, construction, and maintenance operations. Various relevant data, including data on inventory, traffic, pavement structural history, maintenance, and performance, have been integrated into one centralized database to support the system's functions. The system has also incorporated ADOT's overlay design procedure based on the falling weight deflectometer–based; the procedure is much desired by the pavement designers. The system provides a great deal of flexibility in allowing individual pavement sections under different conditions to be treated differently in performance prediction analysis and project prioritization. The system's functional module for statewide needs and budget analysis provides detailed and deterministic information about the selected projects such as project limits, optimal treatments, and resulting performance. However, the new system requires users to set up many parameters for the analyses; this demands a great deal of engineering experience and judgment.