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Cover of Prolonging the Life of Road Assets Under Increasing Demand: A Framework and Tools for Informing the Development and Justification of Asset Preservation and Renewal
Prolonging the Life of Road Assets Under Increasing Demand: A Framework and Tools for Informing the Development and Justification of Asset Preservation and Renewal
  • Publication no: AP-R649-21
  • ISBN: 978-1-922382-58-0
  • Published: 3 May 2021

This report provides an evaluation framework, practices and supporting tools for evaluating road preservation and renewal treatment options for predominantly sprayed seal flexible pavements.

It includes a compilation of case studies based on a pavement life-cycle costing analysis which draws on road agency pavement treatment practices and well-established economic principles.

The reported case studies have demonstrated the optimum selection of asset preservation, renewal strategies and treatments used to prolong pavement life, including:

  • the value of timely intervention
  • where different levels of service are justifiable
  • the need to understand the true treatment demand, including whether a treatment   is required for functional reasons or to provide additional structural capacity
  • the importance of accounting for all costs, including both routine and heavy   repairs, to allow a true comparison to be made
  • the benefits derived from a selection of safety-related treatments often applied in conjunction with preservation and renewal work.

The findings from the case studies and the methods and tools provided can aid practitioners in preparing their own cases and justifications and in ‘selling the message’ of appropriate asset preservation and improvement strategies to executives.

Pavement life-cycle costing demonstration tool

The Pavement Life-cycle Cost Demonstration Tool, developed in MS Excel, is based on a deterministic pavement life‑cycle cost analysis. Appendix A of the report describes the tool in detail.

The tool can be used to model a wide range of pavement maintenance–related treatments and minor cross-section improvements. The tool's outputs can be used to:

  • demonstrate the value of pavement asset preservation programs using standard responses, such as timely resurfacing and ride quality or other profile corrections
  • illustrate the benefits of minor works including drainage and shoulder improvements on pavement performance
  • demonstrate the value of combination seals and modified binders as initial surfacings, or resurfacings, which would be expected to extend the binder life and slow the rate of deterioration
  • examine the effect of pavement structural strengthening improvement, a change in climate or a change in traffic growth.

Download the Pavement Lifecycle Costing Demonstration Tool Template | 5MB macro enabled Excel

Download the Pavement Lifecycle Costing Demonstration Tool Case Study | 5MB macro enabled Excel

  • Summary
  • 1. Introduction
    • 1.1 Purpose
      • 1.1.1 Progress under Previous Related Austroads Projects
    • 1.2 Scope
    • 1.3 Methodology
    • 1.4 Limitations
    • 1.5 Report Outline
  • 2. Review of Challenges, Guiding Principles, Examples of Practice and Definition of Requirements
    • 2.1 Review of Challenges
    • 2.2 Guiding Principles
      • 2.2.1 Policy-driven, Results-oriented and Customer Focused
      • 2.2.2 Managing Current Assets and Providing for Future Assets
      • 2.2.3 Providing a Defined Level of Service
      • 2.2.4 Developing Cost-effective Programs for the Long-term
      • 2.2.5 Managing Risks Associated with Asset Failures
    • 2.3 Examples of Target Service Levels, Intervention Parameters and Preservation and Asset Renewal
      • 2.3.1 Main Roads Western Australia
      • 2.3.2 Transport for New South Wales
    • 2.4 Requirements
  • 3. Development of Framework, Procedures and Supporting Tools
    • 3.1 Outline of the Adopted Framework and Supporting Tool and Models
    • 3.2 Evaluation Framework Scope
      • 3.2.1 Economic Evaluation of Case Studies
      • 3.2.2 Performance of Maintenance Treatments
      • 3.2.3 Levels of Service
    • 3.3 Tools
      • 3.3.1 PLCCDT Tool
      • 3.3.2 Road Deterioration (RD) and Works Effects (WE) Models
      • 3.3.3 Road User Cost (RUC) Model
  • 4. Scope and Design of the Case Studies
    • 4.1 General
    • 4.2 Initial LTPP/LTPPM Case Studies
    • 4.3 Final Agency-based Case Studies
  • 5. Summary of Case Study Results and Consolidated Findings
    • 5.1 Summary of Results
    • 5.2 Consolidated Findings
  • 6. Conclusions
  • References
  • Appendix A Pavement Life-cycle Cost Demonstration Tool
    • A.1 Overview
    • A.2 Coverage of Pavement Maintenance and Related Treatments
      • A.2.1 Description of the Current PLCCDT
      • A.2.2 Main Menu
      • A.2.3 User Settings
      • A.2.4 Advanced Settings
      • A.2.5 Inputs
      • A.2.6 Results
    • A.3 Application of the Current Version of the PLCCDT
  • Appendix B LTPP/LTPPM Case Study Development
  • Appendix C Determination of Pavement Strength
    • C.1 Determination of SNC from Layer Properties
    • C.2 Determination of SNC from Deflection
    • C.3 Estimation of Initial In-Service SNC
  • Appendix D Proposed Basis for Benefit (Cost Saving) Calculation for Various Crash Reduction Measures
    • D.1 Introduction
    • D.2 Enhanced Safety Performance Resulting from Different Treatments
    • D.3 Example Scope of Crash Reduction Treatments and Calculated Effectiveness
    • D.4 Crash Reduction Calculation Process
    • D.5 Road Stereotype Base Crash Rates and Crash Reduction Factors
    • D.6 Total Crash Rate for Various Speed Zones
    • D.7 Calculation of Crash Cost Savings
    • D.8 Limitations
  • Appendix E Notional Structural Life of Sprayed Seal Granular Pavements
  • Appendix F Estimation of Seal Life
  • Appendix G Case Studies
    • G.1 Case Study A – Preservation Strategies in a Dry Environment
      • G.1.1 Background to Case Study A
      • G.1.2 Implementation of Case Study A
      • G.1.3 Results of Case Study A
    • G.2 Case Study B – Preservation Strategies in a Wet Environment
      • G.2.1 Background to Case Study B
      • G.2.2 Implementation of Case Study B
      • G.2.3 Results of Case Study B
    • G.3 Case Study C – Preservation Strategies in a Moderate to Dry Environment
      • G.3.1 Background to Case Study C
      • G.3.2 Implementation of Case Study C
      • G.3.3 Results of Case Study C
    • G.4 Case Study D – Surface Maintenance Strategies for High Traffic
      • G.4.1 Implementation of Case Study D
      • G.4.2 Results of Case Study D
    • G.5 Case Study E – Asset Preservation and Renewal
      • G.5.1 Scope and Background
      • G.5.2 Objectives and Study Design
      • G.5.3 Data Assembly and PLCCDT Analysis Configuration
      • G.5.4 Results
    • G.6 Case Study F – Optimum Intervention Levels for Pavement Renewal and Benefits of Crash Reduction
      • G.6.1 Scope and Background
      • G.6.2 Objectives and Design
      • G.6.3 Data Assembly and Analysis Configuration
      • G.6.4 Case Study F1A – Sealed Granular Pavement Renewal with Crash Reduction Benefits
      • G.6.5 Case Study F1B – Investigation of Optimum Roughness Intervention Level for a Sprayed
      • G.6.6 Case Study F2 – Asphalt Surfaced Granular Pavement Renewal
      • G.6.7 Discussion and Conclusions
    • G.7 Case Study G – Evaluation of Marginal and Sub-standard Materials in Central West Queensland
      • G.7.1 Scope and Background
      • G.7.2 Objectives and Design
      • G.7.3 Data Assembly and PLCCDT Analysis Configuration
      • G.7.4 Presentation and Discussion of Results
      • G.7.5 Conclusions and Further Development
    • G.8 Case Study H – Optimum Pavement Intervention Levels for Sealed Granular Pavements in Rural Areas of New South Wales
      • G.8.1 Scope and Background
      • G.8.2 Objectives and Design
      • G.8.3 Data Assembly and PLCCDT Analysis Configuration
      • G.8.4 Presentation and Discussion of Results
      • G.8.5 Conclusions and Further Development
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