摘要: |
Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars are invested in cities, provinces, and states to preserve the pavement system. The challenge is to spend these funds wisely. To do this, one must plan, then observe, evaluate, and analyze the results of various alternative actions in order to learn which are suitable for which conditions. The concepts of two rational and systematic procedures to analyze maintenance and rehabilitation options or treatments are introduced. The first procedure refers to the rationality testing and formulation of past maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) selection policies. More precisely, it tests the rationality of the past decision-making process in selecting M&R options within an administration, measures its degree of rationality, identifies the prerehabilitation conditions that led in the past to the selection of each specific option, and mathematically formulates a systematic decision rule that describes past M&R option selection. The second procedure evaluates the performance and the optimum application conditions of each M&R option treatment. It verifies whether and to what extent the performance of a specific treatment depends on the prerehabilitation characteristics of the treated sections. In essence, the intent is to formulate a systematic decision rule that mathematically expresses the optimal conditions within which a specific M&R option performs well. |