| Timely and accurate selection of maintenance techniques can extend pavement life significantly. This requires pavement condition data and logical methods for evaluating and selecting relevant treatment alternatives within budgetary constraints.;A model of the decision process associated with the choice of these local repair, or maintenance techniques for flexible pavements, was developed based on a simplified approach consisting of: a condition assessment framework, maintenance technique-condition relationships, and a hierarchy of approaches for various types of pavement distresses. The model expresses the sequence of actions and decisions required to move from pavement condition symptoms to the selection of the best technical measure for its or their treatments. Both single and multiple distress occurrences are considered. The model incorporates both quantitative measures and heuristics to replicate the decisions process.;To evaluate the model, a prototype expert system was developed based on a subset of the overall problem and was tested using several theoretical case data sets. The system performed reasonably well to the extent that development into a full knowledge-based exert system is feasible.;Strategies for pavement repair can range from crack sealing, to localized intensive repair, through to various resurfacing techniques and finally, reconstruction. Local repair and other techniques, commonly carried out under maintenance budgets can play an important preventive role in extending pavement life. The selection of the appropriate measure however, is not necessarily straightforward, or made using quantitative algorithmic rules. |
