Beth Visintine

Evaluating Pavement Condition of the National Highway System

FHWA recently conducted a study to identify a means for evaluating the health of the Interstate highway system, with a specific focus on pavements and bridges. One important component of any statement of health is the condition of the pavement, which is the focus of this paper. Data on an 874-mi long corridor of I-90 were used to review the potential of a set of six metrics for evaluating pavement condition as good, fair, or poor across the Interstate network. The metrics reviewed included both functional and structural pavement condition. The study concluded that currently the international roughness index provides the most consistent method for evaluating ride quality. Other metrics, which use distress or structural condition to evaluate pavement, are not currently suitable as measures of nationwide condition and will require further work before they can be implemented for routine use.

Quality Management Program for Pavement Condition Data Collected on the National Highway System

This paper proposes a framework for a pavement condition data Quality Management Program (QMP). The framework complies with the final rule for national performance management measure regulations published by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to implement requirements from the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act and the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act. The quality check procedures and criteria recommended for the different elements of the framework are based on the experience and recommendations that resulted from developing a QMP for collecting approximately 10,000 miles of pavement condition data on Interstate Highways using an automated measurement system. The findings from implementation of the study QMP and the intervention needed for automated data collection condition metrics were documented for future improvements.

Sampling to Evaluate Performance on the Interstate Highway System

The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act highlighted the need to monitor the performance of pavement sections over time. An important aspect of performance monitoring is collecting a statistically significant sample of the network so conclusions can be made about changes in performance and types of maintenance and rehabilitation needed for maintaining these assets. This paper reviews the sampling requirements on the Interstate highway system to draw accurate conclusions about the network. Specifically, the paper answers the following questions: Is two-way data collection necessary? Do data have to be collected in more than one lane in a direction? What is the optimum reporting length? For what percentage of the network should data be collected? Should data be collected annually?