AN EXPERT SYSTEM TO ESTIMATE PAVEMENT LIFE CYCLE COST

Abstract

A greater understanding of the field of pavement maintenance management in general and M&R decision making has been achieved due to this research.

The maintenance phase in a pavement management system consists of a set of maintenance and rehabilitation activities directed at keeping the pavement in a serviceable state. The decision-maker is confronted with two important and fundamental criteria, engineering criteria and economic criteria. While the success in the engineering field depends upon the knowledge and expertise of the decision-maker, the worth of the decision lies in its utility measured in economic terms.

The selection of M&R activities is, therefore, a formidable task, which requires cognitive skills, and the collective expertise of pavement experts as well as a predictive analysis of the long-term economic worth.

The thesis dealt also with the subject of Vehicle Operating Cost in accordance to the pavement condition. The VOC was calculated by the use of the World Bank Model, and great fluctuations were found from good pavement condition to poor condition. Also did the speed decreases with the deterioration of the pavement.

9.1.2 The Original Aims

This research effort presented an attempt to apply knowledge based system technology, a subset of AI, in conjunction with economic fea:sibility analysis to the domain of pavement maintenance management.