Road asset management optimalization based on predictive pavement degradation models

Abstract

Nowadays, due to the need for efficient road management, we regularly encounter the term asset management. Asset management in practice represents the sum of theoretical and practical knowledge for achieving costeffective and technically optimal use of assets throughout their life cycle. By road assets we mean all the elements necessary to ensure the functional, safe, and efficient use of the road infrastructure. In addition to roads, road structures, facilities, and technological equipment, assets include legal and regulatory aspects (rules and standards), documentation, databases, and asset management systems. We use asset management at every stage of the roadway life cycle, starting with pavement diagnostics and data collection as well as assessment and degradation modelling. Based on the evaluation of the current situation, it proposes a maintenance and rehabilitation strategy along with the allocation of material, financial, and human resources. By applying asset management within the road management department, we can reduce road management costs, improve the structural and pavement condition of the roadways, increase safety and driving comfort for users, and reduce travel times. The degradation of pavement properties and behaviour over time is predicted using pavement degradation models. The paper demonstrates the link between the theoretical concept of asset management and its connection to experimental measurement. Specifically, the experimental measurement focuses on the predictive models of changes in pavement surface properties. The experimental measurement also presents specific degradation functions of variable pavement parameters determined at the premises of the University of Žilina, the course of the experiment itself, and its results. The resulting functions are focused on the degradation of the friction coefficient and transverse unevenness parameters of the surface course. The aim of the work was to demonstrate the significance and applicability of the outputs of the experiment in practice and to present their importance for the streamlining of the management of road assets.