This study aims at developing new and simple approaches for estimating pavement remaining life (RL) based on a variety of condition indicators. It also intends to identify inputs that could provide a more robust approach to reporting functional and structural capacity, and the remaining life of in-service pavement structures. Data pertaining to more than 8000 flexible pavement sections distributed over wide range of condition, age and traffic levels located in Dubai were collected, tabulated and finally analyzed. Variables including pavement quality index (PQI), age, traffic loading, roughness (IRI), fatigue cracking (FCR), rutting (RUT), and deflection were considered. The study findings indicated that the pavement RL can be quantitatively predicted using simple models based on direct field measurements. Effective Structural Number (SNeff) , IRI and PQI yearly loss were found to be suitable parameters to predict the RL of the pavements. SNeff was found to have a good correlation with overall pavement thickness (Hp) and deflection measured at the center of the FWD loading plate (D0) accounted for more than 92 per cent of the structural capacity prediction model. It was also found that the pavement is reported to be structurally failed when the area of the cracking and the patching distresses exceeds 17 per cent of the total pavement section area. Roughness prediction models were shown to be significantly dependant on pavement age. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. 0612AR242E.
Abstract