The use of interactive computerised colour graphics to communicate pavement information is becoming an important component of pavement management systems. Multipurpose geographic information systems have the capability of providing many of these graphic needs. However, many of these systems come with high price tags in terms of hardware, software, data communications, and training. In order to provide needed additional graphic reporting capabilities at a minimum cost, the Florida Department of Transportation is developing a pavement management graphic reporting system that uses existing IBM hardware and SAS software. The system is accessible from any of several hundred graphic terminals and personal computers around the state that are networked into the department's IBM 3090 mainframe computer. The system allows users to interactively create colour-coded geographic maps of various pavement features on the state highway system. It is driven by menus and does not require extensive computer experience to operate. The base map was digitised from U.S. Geological Survey mylar quad sheets with state roadway section identifications added during the digitising. Pavement feature data that are selected for display are accessed from various sources such as relational data base files, flat files, and SAS data sets.
Abstract