The pavement-type selection process traditionally uses life-cycle cost analysis concepts to model the cost of pavement alternatives during a performance period. However, other forms of pavement selection processes have emerged in recent years. For example, some state departments of transportation have opted to the selection of pavement type or other highway materials through the alternate design/alternate bidding procedure that allows the bidding contractors to select the pavement type that will be constructed. However, the effectiveness and equity of these innovative pavement-type selection processes are not well documented and often not considered. Research was needed to identify and evaluate current practices and develop rational processes that consider all relevant factors and provide a realistic means for pavement-type selection. Also, there was a need to incorporate these processes into a Guide for Pavement-Type Selection to facilitate use by highway engineers and administrators. Under NCHRP Project 10-75, “Guide for Pavement-Type Selection,” Applied Research Associates, Inc. of Champaign, Illinois, worked with the objective of developing a Guide for Pavement-Type Selection that included processes for consideration in making decisions regarding pavement-type selection for agency-based (decision is internal to the highway agency) and contractor-based (selection is made by the contractor using criteria stipulated by the agency) options. To accomplish this objective, the research identified and evaluated traditional and innovative processes for pavement-type selection and incorporated the best practices into a rational Guide for Pavement-Type Selection. The processes contained in the guide address the identification of feasible pavement alternatives, the consideration of economic and non-economic factors, and the selection of preferred alternatives. These processes are supplemented by examples to illustrate the application of the recommended guide for two commonly encountered scenarios of pavement-type selection. The research agency’s final report provides further elaboration on the work performed in this project. This document, titled “Research Report,” is not published herein, but it is available on the NCHRP Report 703 summary webpage at http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/165531.aspx. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting