Cost-Effectiveness of Rut Treatments for Semi-Rigid Base Asphalt Pavement

A preliminary study of rut treatments dealing with the implementation and evaluation stages, focused on cost-effectiveness assessment and function validity by comparing various rut preventive maintenance treatments included microsurfacing, ultra-thin overlay, hot in-place recycling and thin hot mix overlay. The Jiangsu provincial highway network status and major distress were studied based on the statistical analysis of the performance data and maintenance history which was collected from the pavement management system (PMS). The determination method of extended service life (ESL) index of the different preventive maintenance treatments was recommended according to the rut depth used as the control performance indicator. Combined with the ESL value, the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) value using the life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) method was calculated with different treatment practices, and their effectiveness was compared. The results indicated microsurfacing has the highest cost effectiveness, ultra-thin overlay and hot in-place recycling (HIR) have similar cost-effectiveness levels, wheres thin hot-mix overlay has the lowest BCR value compared to other treatments. The findings support the PMS updating for maximizing both project and network level benefits, combineing the preventive maintenance management system in the near future.