Development of Efficient Pavement Management System Using GIS (Case Study of Provincial Roads of KPK, Pakistan)

Abstract

Pavement Management is planned methodology for adopting, assessing, and preserving pavement assets, demanding resolution at calculated, at whole system level and node level. Pavement Management comprises of two basic characteristics. Strong communication is the first aim that is between decision makers at different decision levels. Robust Pavement Management System is the second aspect of this system. Efficient Pavement Management System is appreciated around the globe. Considerable work has been done to develop more efficient and effective PMS. However, in Pakistan there lies deficiencies in research related to development of PMS. The main intent of this study is to evaluate and filter out road sections of Province Khyber Pakhtun Khwa (KPK), Pakistan. Digitize these selected road sections and then devise system to manage them efficiently and effectively. The road sections are administered by Communication & Works Department KPK, Pakhtun Khwa Highway Authority (PKHA) and Peshawar Development Authority (PDA). This study targets the above said sections basing on age, road length and number of Culverts. After analysis and scheming road sections that have completed design life, their interface varies in our developed Pavement Management System (PMS), further more every road with age gap of five years gives variable color. Albeit suggesting intervention measures, such section of roads are selected primarily considering cost effective measures involving feasibility of certain sections in spatial and temporal limitations. The choice to use an intervention as a roadway reconciliation needs careful as well as complete study, these covers traffic pattern, geometric alignment, structural capacity enhancement and ecological hazards. In an urban area, where it is fully built-up, it is immensely difficult to add lanes to the pavement, propose grade separated interchanges or timely provide intervention measures involving rehabilitation or maintenance, it requires due investigation prior to such intervention measure due to various factors such as Right-of-way (ROW) requirements, utility relocations, construction costs and operations and safety. In these situations, alternate viable options of road sections for intervention are tolerably selected basing on economical and contemporary available variables. Hence, there is an imperative need to think out of the box solutions. The key questions are whether the benefits of the proposed alternatives would exceed the costs of construction; and even if they would, whether there are other ways to spend such a large sum of money that would deliver a better outcome for citizens.