Assessment on Pavement Performance and Remaining Life cycle Analysis Using Integrated HDM-4 Software: Case Study within Kombolcha-Harbu Road section

Abstract

Transportation facilities constitute one of the most valuable public assets that account for a major share of public sector investment in the world. In order to facilitate this public sector investments, road was one of the basic assets that constructed and maintained regularly along different national and international boundaries. To constitute those investment actives the performance and life cycle condition of the road should be studied regularly. But the main problem to execute that road treatment activates the current and the future condition of the pavement should be properly studied. Therefore; the main objective of this study was concerned on the assessment of pavement performance and life cycle analysis using HDM-4 software for a case study of KombolchaHarbu road section. Under this main topic of the study, the following specific objectives were studied; evaluate the existing pavement performance and deterioration conditions in terms of International roughness index, average rutting, texture depth and edge cracking area, quantify Pavement performance indicators like Pavement Condition Ratting and Present Serviceability Index, quantify the future pavement condition of selected road project using HDM-4 software, examine the effective type of pavement treatment in term of performance condition within the service life of road. To meet those objectives of this study, both descriptive and explanatory type of survey has been applied and also historical data and current condition were the basic input parameters along this section of the road. The methodologies used for sampling for study this road section and data collection were purposive and quantitative techniques were used respectively. The result of this study shows that the condition of the existing pavement for kombolcha-Harbu road section in terms of the international roughness index was evaluated as fair. The average rutting value for kombolcha-Harbu was about 4.196cm. This value had shown that the deterioration condition in terms of rutting have evaluated as fair. The pavement performance evaluation indexes like present serviceability index and pavement serviceability rating was calculated as 4.052 and 2.182 respectively. Finally, those results shows that the performance of the pavement was evaluated as very good and fair. In terms the condition of pavement evaluated on the existing and future condition the alternatives for maintenance of this road section should be used were rehabilitation-thin-overlay and periodic maintenance (patching and crack sealing).