Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
138 C H A P T E R 5 User Guide A User Guide was prepared to assist an agency apply the prediction models to a more specific set of local input data. The final report discussed the steps taken by the research team to collect data from the LTPP database, analyzed the data using three different methods, validated each analysis, and drew general conclusions regarding the influence of as-constructed AV on pavement performance over a broad array of climates, traffic levels, and pavement structures. The User Guide provides a brief summary of the study, identifies the particular input data an agency needs to assemble to use the models, and provides examples of the output. From that output, the agency can make an informed decision regarding the influence of as- constructed AV. Analysis Method 1, which assembled the data into common subgroups, created scatter plots to examine the influence of as-constructed AV. Each agency can find the subgroups that fit their conditions and interpret the influence of as-constructed AV based on the LTPP sectionsâ performance. Analysis Method 2, which created regression models, can be placed on a spreadsheet for the agency to apply local input data. Analysis Method 3, which used an artificial neural network approach to create models, is a complicated process that can only be used as a software application to present predicted performance. Like many ânationalâ studies, the models may not fit every agency and predictions need to be weighed against local experience. Beyond the use of the models developed by this study, the User Guide gives the agency general instructions for preparing models specific to the agencyâs conditions. Preparing agency specific models will require a significant amount of effort to collect a sufficient amount of data to properly apply the modeling techniques. The User Guide is a separate document that accompanies this report. Both the regression models and ANN models should be accessible from a common website for an agency to input data and receive pavement performance prediction curves. The proposed implementation plan in the next chapter discusses one location to maintain the models.
