2013 - South Korea - Estimating Low Volume Road Rehabilitation Needs

This study presents two methods for the prediction and estimation of Maintenance and Rehabilitation (M&R) works based on the Highway Present Condition Index (HPCI) and statistical trend of rehabilitation period that is applied to paved low-volume roads. Since low volume roads comprised the majority of the country’s highway pavements having damage and distress characteristics that are totally different from high volume roads, specific criteria and guidelines are established. The results of the study have shown that economical costs for M&R must be viewed cumulatively in a specific M&R time frame compared to a yearly evaluation of individual costs. In particular, it has been shown that lower criteria of HPCI for rehabilitation within the serviceable level, although predicting higher individual costs at the later times, are still found to be the most economical option compared to service level criteria with higher HPCI values. Similar trend of results are found with a criteria for M&R based on maximum periods of rehabilitation, which showed a more economical choice compared to that when average and frequent periods of rehabilitations are made.