GPR-based model for maintenance prioritization of flexible pavement

Abstract

• Proposing a non-destructive evaluation-oriented model for the maintenance prioritization of flexible pavement sections. • Assessing the severities of subsurface of different distresses of flexible pavement using Ground penetrating radar (GPR). • Assessing the severities of subsurface distresses using Ground penetrating radar (GPR). • Using Analytical Network Process (ANP) for deducing pavement distresses weights and accounting for their interrelations. • Performing sensitivity analysis to derive the most prominent distresses influencing pavement conditions. The deteriorating status of roads and their preservation offer a substantial challenge when paired with the public’s need for transportation networks that are safe and efficient, particularly in light of the limited expenditures that can be made on maintenance and intervention. This research proposes a newly developed non-destructive evaluation-oriented model for the maintenance prioritization of flexible pavement sections. The developed model is conceptualized as tackling the distresses of longitudinal cracks, transversal cracks, fatigue cracks, surface raveling, potholes, bleeding, rutting, deformation, layers debonding, and subsurface stripping. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is used to assess the severities of subsurface distresses. In this context, the severity levels of the investigated distresses are retrieved from the guidelines of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) with the b-scans produced from GPR surveys. The model capitalizes on using an Analytical Network Process (ANP) as a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique for deducing distress weights and accounting for the interrelations among the studied pavement distresses. The distresses’ weights and their extent of severities are blended to composite an integrated pavement condition assessment model using the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). Sensitivity analysis is implemented on the model to derive the most prominent distresses influencing pavement conditions. The developed model is applied to an actual case of the Boulevard road, 6th of October City, Egypt. Results highlighted that the implemented model managed to successfully rank the pavement sections based on their needs for maintenance and accounting for the different combinations of distresses and their severity levels present in each section.