National Academies Press: OpenBook

Preservation Approaches for High-Traffic-Volume Roadways (2011)

Chapter: Chapter 1 - Introduction

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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 1 - Introduction." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Preservation Approaches for High-Traffic-Volume Roadways. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14508.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 1 - Introduction." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Preservation Approaches for High-Traffic-Volume Roadways. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14508.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 1 - Introduction." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Preservation Approaches for High-Traffic-Volume Roadways. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14508.
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6Background and Problem Statement The practice of pavement preservation (i.e., preventive main- tenance [PM] and some forms of minor rehabilitation and corrective maintenance) is a growing trend among transporta- tion agencies around the United States. Where perhaps 20 years ago no agency could claim to formally practice pavement preservation, in the past decade alone a number of state high- way agencies (SHAs) have created or formalized such pro- grams. This list includes, but is not limited to, Rhode Island, Arizona, California, Nebraska, Missouri, North Carolina, Louisiana, Minnesota, South Carolina, and Nevada. At the same time, other agencies that might have been practicing preservation for a longer time (such as Texas and Washington State) have extended their programs to cover a greater propor- tion of their pavement network than ever before. In recent years, still other agencies (such as Illinois and Hawaii) have begun creating formal preservation programs. The significance of this trend in SHAs and other public agencies can be seen in several ways. Some agencies—such as those in North Carolina, Louisiana, California, and Minnesota—have created a departmental position of pave- ment preservation engineer. Many agencies have developed, or are developing, formal guidelines for preservation, such as Ohio, Nebraska, Illinois, and California. Furthermore, Texas, Louisiana, and California have established pavement pres- ervation centers, where researchers and practitioners work together to improve preservation practices. In addition to such centers, regional partnerships have also been formed to facilitate the exchange of ideas and best practices regarding pavement preservation. Based on transportation agency practices in this area, the growing significance of preservation practices is indisputable. However, the practice of preservation on high-traffic-volume roadways is not nearly as common as it is on lower-volume roadways. There are several possible explanations for this. For example, treatments such as chip seals have long been associated with low-volume and low-speed roadways, and in many agencies, there is significant resistance to placing such treat- ments on roads with traffic volumes higher than a rather low number (say, between 500 and 2,000 vehicles per day [vpd]) because of liability concerns (e.g., cracked windshields, chipped paint) and a perception of lower quality (ride, materials, tech- nique, and so on). Furthermore, the use of PM treatments in general has long been associated with lower-volume roads, where funding for higher-quality and higher-cost treatments, especially overlays, simply has not been available. As such, the use of PM treatments on high-volume roads is not considered. There is also an implied liability problem associated with the failure of certain treatments on higher-volume roadways. When a treatment fails on a higher-volume roadway, by defini- tion more people are affected and more people complain. There may also be a perception that high-traffic-volume roadways are more likely to fail due to load rather than develop the type of functional deficiencies that are best addressed by pavement preservation. The potential benefit of preservation on higher-traffic- volume roadways might not be as readily recognized or as well documented. Also, because these pavements are typically designed and built to higher standards than lower-volume roadways, they may deteriorate in different ways, rendering typical PM treatments less effective. Nonetheless, the preser- vation of high-traffic-volume roadways is as important as the preservation of lower-traffic-volume roadways, because many conditions, such as the following, hold true for both: • Agency resources are limited, and it makes sense to use available funding, personnel, and equipment in managing pavements wisely. In the long run, pavement preservation saves money. • Preservation provides benefits to the traveling public, includ- ing safer and smoother roads. • Preservation can be done more rapidly than rehabilitation, with fewer adverse effects on the traveling public. C H A P T E R 1 Introduction

7Admittedly, there are also challenges to the use of preser- vation strategies on high-traffic-volume roadways, including the following: • There is a smaller set of materials and procedures that can be employed successfully on high-traffic-volume roadways. • Shorter available closure times for busy roadways make treatment construction more complicated. • There is less available information on the life and perfor- mance of treatments used on high-traffic-volume roadways. • There is an increased risk (because of the higher traffic volumes and speeds) should failure occur. • Less guidance is available on the successful implementation of preservation strategies on high-traffic-volume roadways. Nonetheless, it is believed that the benefits of practicing preservation on high-traffic-volume roadways outweigh the challenges, and it is worthwhile to take steps to increase or improve the practice of pavement preservation on these roadways. This research was conducted to identify and advance prac- tices that lead to higher-volume roadways being maintained in serviceable condition for longer periods of time before rehabilitation is needed, at a lower cost, in a safer manner, and with less disruption to the traveling public. The study was part of the second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) Renewal focus area, which addresses the need to complete long-lasting highway projects with minimal disruption to the traveling public. SHRP 2 Renewal research has a focus of “applying new methods and materials for preserving, rehabil- itating, and reconstructing roadways. . . . Alternative strategies for contracting, financing, and managing projects, and miti- gating institutional barriers also are part of the emphasis on rapid renewal” (SHRP 2 2007). Research Objectives The main objective of this study was to develop guidelines on pavement preservation strategies for high-traffic-volume road- ways that can be used and implemented by public agencies. A secondary objective was to identify promising pavement preservation strategies for application on high-traffic-volume roadways that might not commonly be used and to make recommendations for further research opportunities. Research Scope and Approach To accomplish the stated objectives, the project was divided into two phases of work consisting of the following tasks: Phase I 1. Identify the state of the practice via a national and inter- national literature search and survey. 2. Develop criteria to identify best practices; apply such cri- teria to the data obtained during the literature search and survey. 3. Submit an interim report summarizing the results obtained by completing Tasks 1 and 2. Phase II 4. Develop guidelines for pavement preservation approaches for high-traffic-volume roadways. 5. Submit a draft final report that documents the entire research effort. 6. Submit a final report that addresses SHRP 2 comments on the draft final report. In Phase I, an extensive literature search and review was undertaken, resulting in a comprehensive selection of references regarding pavement preservation practices from the last 5 years. In addition, a questionnaire was developed and distributed in September 2008 to all 50 SHAs, several large municipalities, seven Canadian provinces, international practitioners, and several industry representatives. The purpose of the question- naire was to obtain information on current pavement preser- vation practices for high-traffic-volume roadways from North American and international practitioners. Information from the compiled literature and the question- naire survey was summarized and analyzed to identify the current state of practice for rural and urban high-traffic- volume roadways on both portland cement concrete (PCC)– surfaced and hot-mix asphalt (HMA)–surfaced pavements. Criteria were developed and applied to focus on preservation approaches that are currently successfully implemented and others that have the potential to be successful but have not been regularly deployed. Results of these activities, along with an updated Phase II work plan, were documented in a draft interim report. In Phase II of the project, detailed guidelines on pavement preservation strategies for high-traffic-volume roadways were developed. These guidelines, entitled Guidelines for the Preservation of High-Traffic-Volume Roadways, evolved from the state of the practice identified in Phase I and incorporated various methodologies for evaluating treatment suitability at the project level, based on several decision factors. Recommended procedures for evaluating treatment cost-effectiveness were also incorporated. Overview of Report Including this introductory chapter, this report is presented in five chapters. Chapter 2 describes the information-gathering activities and presents a summary of the findings of those activities. Chapter 3 discusses the development of preservation treatment selection guidelines through a state-of-the-practice

8synthesis that provides support for the recommendations made in the guidelines. Chapter 4 discusses the application of the guidelines, focusing on potential impediments to implementation and successful ways of overcoming those impediments. Finally, Chapter 5 presents the study’s conclu- sions and recommendations, including suggestions for future research of preservation-related policies and practices. The report includes four appendices. Appendix A is an annotated bibliography covering the key source documents used in the study. Appendix B contains the questionnaire used to survey highway agencies about their preservation practices. Appendix C provides a detailed breakdown and discussion of the preservation survey responses. Appendix D is a short dis- cussion of several new or limited-use pavement preservation treatments. The report also provides a glossary of terms. The detailed guidelines developed in this study are provided in a separate publication, Guidelines for the Preservation of High-Traffic-Volume Roadways.

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TRB’s second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) Report S2-R26-RR-1: Preservation Approaches for High-Traffic-Volume Roadways documents the state of the practice of preservation treatment on asphalt and concrete pavements. The report focuses on treatments suitable for application on high-traffic-volume roadways but also discusses current practices for low-volume roadways.

The same project that produced SHRP 2 Report S2-R26-RR-1 also produced SHRP 2 Report S2-R26-RR-2: Guidelines for the Preservation of High-Traffic-Volume Roadways. The report provides suggested guidelines for the application of preservation treatments on high-traffic-volume roadways and considers traffic volume, pavement condition, work-zone requirements, environmental conditions, and expected performance.

An e-book version of this report is available for purchase at Google, iTunes, and Amazon.

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