Integrating Pavement Preservation into the Design Process

The flexible pavement mechanistic-empirical analysis procedure being developed for the Department by the Partnered Pavement Research Center (PPRC) includes a preliminary consideration of pavement preservation on predicted performance. In this project, the PPRC will further develop that pavement preservation performance prediction capability, and develop capabilities for its inclusion in the mechanistic-empirical concrete pavement design procedures being implemented by the Department. When the models for flexible and rigid pavement are completed, they will be evaluated by the Department and partner departments of transportation (DOTs) and updated. The PPRC will then work with the Department to incorporate the models into design procedures, and the Department's Life Cycle Cost Analysis Manual. This project is also in the national Pavement Preservation Road Map (Design #6) developed at a January 2008 workshop conducted by American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) with participation by experts from the Department and the University of California (UC) Contract Team.