Pavement management systems (PMSs) are typically designed to select projects and treatments on the basis of which alternatives have the lowest project life-cycle cost. Ways to use project life-cycle cost analysis to increase the total cost of network preservation are illustrated. In addition, it is not a handy PMS tool for policy makers to use to spend available funds more efficiently. It is proposed that the policy level use network life-cycle cost analysis to minimise the total cost of network preservation. Economic analysis would then be a three-stop process; network life-cycle cost analysis, to establish program development constraints that minimise the total cost of preservation; program analysis, to select the combination of projects and treatments that meet policy constraints and maximise program benefits; and engineering analysis, to minimise project cost. Network life-cycle cost analysis is based on the remaining service life and strategy analysis concepts, which are not in wide use. Therefore, these methods are explained briefly. Conceptually, network and project life-cycle cost analysis are similar in that for network analysis, the lane-mile length of each alternative program is used in place of each alternative project, and each alternative program's average design service life is substituted for alternative project treatments. (A)
Abstract