Flexible Pavement Maintenance

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FLEXIBLE PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE

Abstract:
Pavement maintenance is very important to prolong pavement life as well as to preserve the
road functional in order to provide safe, comfortable riding and reliable passage to all
traffics. Generally, neglecting or delaying the road maintenance activities may increase the
overall cost of repair and also affect the vehicle operating cost for the road user.

The purpose of this study is to assess the pavement condition and rehabilitation works carried
out along the North South Interurban Toll Expressway (NSE) within Section S3 in Southern
Region from Pagoh to Machap involving 70 km length. The study focus on visual site
assessment for flexible pavement along the mainline and making measurements on the
pavement distresses based on Inspection Manual for Pavement Maintenance Management
System, PLUS Bhd. as well as Interim Guide To Evaluation and Rehabilitation of Flexible
Road Pavements (JKR 20709-0315-94).

From the study, the common type of pavement distress recorded was cracking, rutting, patch,
potholes, localized depression and undulation and majority of the distress were occurred
along the slow lane, which are 76% cracking, 68% rutting, 18% patches , 9% is potholes and
6% depression and undulation. 67% of the segments assessed having combination of
cracking and rutting. There was only minor distress observed along the fast lane that was
mainly surface cracks, which is 10%, 2% is depression, 1% is patch and 1% is potholes.

The method of rehabilitation works identified includes reinstatement, overlays, and overlays
with pre-treatment, regulating works and partial reconstruction with base stabilization using
cement treated base (CTB). Based on year 2006, more than 97% of the rehabilitation works
were performed using overlays and overlays with pretreatment.

Introduction
Right from the very beginning, the structural design of flexible pavement is facing with
uncertainties such as traffic prediction and assumptions of pavement layers strength in design
methods. During the construction, quality of the road will also depend upon the workmanship
on site and supervision competency. Inclement weather also affects quality control by
increasing chances of pavement layer contamination, which require special attention by the
supervisors.

Finally, after the road is constructed, both environmental and traffic stress will contribute to
possibility of the road to be deteriorated. Initial assessment of the physical pavement
condition can be carried out through a visual assessment on the flexible surface condition and
the main parameters recorded are cracking and rutting.

Study Background
Section S3 is a 70 km length expressway traversing across varying terrains from
mountainous to low laying areas. The construction of this stretch was successfully completed
and opened to traffic in 1994. Since its completion, the first major rehabilitation works within
this stretch was carried out in year 2003 involving 4.0 km stretch from km114.00 to
km110.00 South Bound between Pagoh and Yong Peng. Cement Treated Base (CTB) was
used to strengthen the existing base.
After the new flexible pavement had been constructed, both environmental and traffics stress
will cause it to deteriorate. The rate of deterioration will depend on the severity of the traffic
loads and the variability of the road materials.
Proper evaluation process shall be carried out to identify the pavement distress and possible
causes of the failure before any rehabilitation works is carried out. At present, there are many
options of pavement maintenance techniques and rehabilitation methods available in
Malaysia. However, appropriate techniques of assessment as well as the right choice of the
treatment method for rehabilitation works for various types of road pavement failures are
significantly issues in many maintenance organizations.
In line with the above, this study is constructed to assess the flexible pavement maintenance
activities along the North-South Interurban Toll Expressway (NSE), identifying the various
type of pavement distress and the method of rehabilitation works being implemented along
the NSE. The results of this study will be beneficial as a knowledge sharing on the
maintenance of the NSE with others maintenance organization.
Objectives
There are two objectives of this paper. They are:-
i) To identify various type of pavement distress along the North South Interurban Toll
Expressway, from Pagoh to Machap, Section S3.
ii) To identify pavement maintenance activities and rehabilitation works carried out along the
North South Interurban Toll Expressway, from Pagoh to Machap, Section S3.
The Study
Assessment of the pavement distress was carried-out using the surface condition survey form
modified based on the assessment guide available in PLUS Bhd / Opus(M)-NMM, as well as
the Interim Guide To Evaluation And Rehabilitation Of Flexible Pavements, JKR Malaysia.
The condition of the pavement is assessed over 500 meter segment according to its bound
directions and lanes (slow lane and fast lane). The visual assessment was done by assessing
the type, degree and extent of the pavement distresses for both fast lane and slow lane from
the slow moving vehicles travelling on the hard shoulder.
The Findings
From the study, most of the pavement distress was observed along the slow lane of each
bound and this problems mainly related to the excessive traffic loading as the heavy traffics
and slow moving traffics are normally travel along this lane. The type of pavement distress
identified was cracking, rutting, patch, potholes and depression and undulating. However, the
most common distresses were cracking and rutting. Summary of cracks condition is
presented in Table 4.

a) Cracking
Table 4: Summary of cracks conditions – Slow Lane
Out of 263 segments assessed along the slow lane, 200 segments or 76% is experiencing
cracking problems and remaining 63 segments or 24% segments are still in satisfactory
condition with no cracks observed. Further assessment on the cracks conditions was noted
that 67% was identified as a crocodile cracks, 5% is block cracking and 4% is surface cracks.
This indicates that the deterioration for slow lane is largely influence by heavy loading from
the traffics. There are only localized block cracking between km 72.00 and km 74.00 South
Bound (SB) were found between warning and severe condition which require attention for
rectification works. Overall cracks condition is presented in Figure 1 and Figure 2.
Figure 1: Cracking condition slow lane.

b) Rutting
Based on the assessment, 180 out of 263 segments or 68% is having rutting. Further
assessment on the degree of the rutting identified that 49% of the rutting is identified under
degree 1, 21% is degree 2, 29% is degree 3, 1% is degree 4. There has been no degree 5
rutting identified during the site assessment. In addition, there has been no rutting observed
along the fast lane. Overall rutting condition along the slow lane is presented in Figure 3
Figure 3: Pavement rutting – Slow Lane

The Maintenance and Rehabilitation works


The rehabilitations of the flexible pavements are carried out to address the defects
highlighted or detected during the inspection as well as after a detailed evaluation has been
conducted. Based on the findings, the rehabilitation treatment for flexible pavement can
generally divided into reinstatement, overlays, overlays with pre-treatment, structural overlay
and regulating works. The type of treatment and common condition of use is tabulated in
Table 5.
Table 5: Treatment type and conditions of use

Generally, the rehabilitation works coverage has increased over the years to address to
pavement failures not only because of the ageing of the pavement but also do to overall
consideration such as cost, coverage and treatment needed to overcome the issues which are
some times global but some time local.

Although very stringent maintenance and inspection strategies have been implemented, some
pavement failures are still occurring even when design optimization has been considered,
there were other factors that may not be predicted and foresee during the planning and design
stage as well as after the construction stage. Figure 4 indicates the pattern of rehabilitation
activities carried from year 2002 until year 2006.

Edge joint cracks


Conclusions
a. Pavement distress
Results of the study indicated that cracking are the most common type of the failures
occurred along the North South Interurban Expressway that is (76%), followed by rutting
(68%), patch (18%) potholes (9%) and depression and undulation (6%). The slow lane was
found to have majority of defects as heavy traffics and slow moving traffics are the most
common users that travelled along this lane, which is the auspicious factor to higher
percentage of defects observed. A detailed pavement evaluation is normally required to
optimise the budget especially when the particular sections of the pavement require major
rehabilitation or upgrading.
b. Pavement Maintenance and Rehabilitation Works
A forward planning software to determine the need of the pavement maintenance and
rehabilitation were normally used to not only determine the locations of the rehabilitation
work but also to determine the life-cycle of the pavement in future, such that the design life
of the pavement can be further stretched to ensure its usage can be extended and enhanced.
On the other hand, a medium term plan which will alleviate the distress and rehabilitate the
pavement can be implemented and can generally be divided into reinstatement, overlays,
overlays with pre-treatment, structural overlay and regulating works.

In year 2006, more than 97% of the rehabilitation works were performed using overlays and
overlays with pretreatment as this method provide not only medium term which is 6 months
two 1 ½ years free of maintenance but also a ‘feel good’ view of the completed section. In
addition, the regulating treatment normally applicable to address to pavement depression and
undulation especially at bridge and culvert approaches. Preventive maintenance such as
overlay shall be carried out effectively at the beginning stage when the distresses were
identified to avoid further failure that would increase cost of repairs.

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