Transportation Asset Management: An Enhanced Framework For Pavement Management System of Pakistan)

Abstract

Transportation infrastructure provides critical national lifelines for commerce, trade, commuting, pleasure travel, national defense, and disaster response. Transportation assets account for a major share of public-sector investment, and are among the most highly valued financial assets of state and local governments. One of the major components of transportation asset management system is pavement management system (PMS) or road asset management system (RAMS). RAMS in Pakistan is still in its evolution stage and there is a need to improve its effectiveness in order to accrue maximum benefits from it. This requires enhancements to existing pavement management practices of condition/ distress assessment, performance modeling, performance criteria/ standards, treatment alternatives, and better integration with existing databases and analyses tools within the agency. In this research study, a technical review of existing road asset management in Pakistan is conducted involving inter alia, assessment of the capabilities and needs, and comparison of existing practices to recommended practices suggested by National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) in Transportation Asset Management Guide (TAMG). Taking due cognizance of standard and robust practices, a decision framework based on Highway Development and Management (HDM-4) is developed that involves identification, prioritization and preparation of cost-effective multi-year maintenance and/or rehabilitation (M&R) strategies under budgetary constraints. Using a case study of national highway system, an unconstrained road infrastructure work programme including budget requirements, has been prepared for a pre-defined performance standard and analysis period for maintaining the national highway network. Lastly, benefits anticipated from implementation of proposed framework are mentioned in detail, which include, more informed investment decisions, enhanced accuracy of pavement deterioration prediction, increased reliability of decision support tool, improved location referencing consistency and better integration among all the components of RAMS of Pakistan, thus increasing the overall effectiveness of the system while ensuring the optimum utilization of available resources and funds.