Pavement Management Application Optimizing Maintenance Prioritization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems face challenges in accurately comparing and prioritizing infrastructure assets, such as roads and bridges, due to the complexity of assessing deterioration factors with varying severity and density.
Innovation Solution
A Pavement Management Application (PMA) computer system that uses a processor and tangible memory to execute a pavement repair program. This program determines major maintenance and repair costs by analyzing input data such as pavement condition index, inspection history, work history, and predicted conditions to calculate return-on-investment (ROI) and estimated uniform annual cost (EUAC).
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If standardized classification systems are used to assess infrastructure assets, then resource allocation can be prioritized, but it becomes difficult to accurately compare and prioritize assets with multiple deterioration factors at varying severity levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms multiple deterioration parameters (crack density, fault severity, distress types) into a single integrated Pavement Condition Index (PCI) value. This parameter transformation allows assets to be compared on a unified scale while preserving the underlying complexity of multiple deterioration factors, resolving the contradiction between simplified resource allocation and accurate asset comparison.
2Reliability
If multiple deterioration factors are tracked with varying severity and density, then comprehensive asset assessment is achieved, but accurate prioritization and comparison of assets becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple deterioration factors (cracks, faults, distresses) into a single PCI value through a systematic indexing process. This consolidation maintains comprehensive assessment by considering all deterioration types while simplifying prioritization by providing a single comparable metric, thus resolving the contradiction between assessment completeness and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the complex assessment process into distinct phases: data collection of multiple deterioration factors, processing through standardized classification, and aggregation into PCI values. This segmentation allows comprehensive tracking of individual factors while simplifying the final prioritization decision through unified index comparison.
Data Source
AI summary
A specialized computer running pavement management application (PMA) software may be configured to apply risk cost and return on investment analysis to determine an optimized work plan for maintenance and repairs of a network of pavement sections. The PMA may be configured to incorporate global maintenance and repair activities (such as surface treatments), major maintenance and repair activities (such as overlays and reconstruction), and localized preventative maintenance and repair activities (such as crack sealing and patching).