Pavement ME Design (MEPDG/DARWin-ME) is a significant advancement in pavement design, but requires much more input from various data sources. Through the transportation pooled fund study TPF-5(242), a full-production software called Prep-ME with comprehensive database features has been developed to assist state DOTs in data preparation and improve the management and workflow of Pavement ME Design input data. Particularly, Prep-ME is capable of pre-processing, importing, checking the quality of raw Weigh-InMotion (WIM) traffic data, and generating three levels of traffic data inputs with in-built clustering analysis methods for Pavement ME Design. This tool can be used not only by pavement design engineers to prepare input for Pavement ME Design, but also traffic data collection engineers to collect better traffic data and manage those data for other applications. The software has the following basic functions with more specific features requested by individual states. * Imports an agency’s WIM traffic data complying with FHWA Traffic Monitoring Guide (TMG) file formats, and stores the data in SQL server Local database with exceptional computation efficiency. * Conduct Travel Monitoring Analysis System (TMAS 2.0) data check and generate TMAS check error log for each imported raw file. * Perform automatic quality control checks by direction and lane of a WIM station for both classification and weight data following algorithms defined in TMG. * Provide user friendly interfaces to review monthly, weekly and daily traffic data, and investigate the WIM data that is incomplete or fails the automatic QC check through various manual, sampling, and analysing operations. * Generate three levels of traffic inputs and defaults: Level 1 site specific, Level 2 clustering average, Level 3 state average, and LTPP TPF-5(004) defaults. * Fully implement clustering methods developed by North Carolina and Michigan DOTs, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), the Truck Traffic Classification (TTC) method, and the simplified TTC approach are fully implemented, offering state agencies the flexibility of generating Level 2 loading spectra inputs for Pavement ME Design based on the availability of traffic data. *Generate input files in the file formats that can be directly imported into MEPDG and Pavement ME Design software. A number of other features in Prep-ME may be useful to any highway agency, including (1) importing raw climatic data and exporting XML climate files for Pavement ME Design; (2) populating and exporting material inputs including E* for HMA, CTE for PCC, and soil properties based on soil map for Pavement ME Design; and (3) importing FWD raw files and preparing FWD XML file for Pavement ME Design inputs. The ultimate goal of Prep-ME is to be the companion tool that can seamlessly communicate with Pavement ME Design in a full production environment for the local calibration and implementation. In addition, in working with FHWA pavement performance office, the 1-mm 3D laser imaging PaveVision3D Ultra technology developed by the research team is used to collect field data at high-friction sites and LTPP sites on nationwide basis. Cracking and other distress data extracted from the 3D survey data have demonstrated the potential to be used as basis for calibrating Pavement ME Design and application of other pavement related needs, particularly in PMS. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting