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Pavement Condition Analysis Using GIS: A

Case Study Of Prithivi Highway
(Pokhara To Kotre)
Roman Pandit Sushmita Subedi
Civil Engineering Survey Depatment,
Sambridi Engineering Pvt.Ltd. Ministry of Land Management, Cooperative and Poverty
Jamune, Nepal Alleviation
spcroman001@gmail.com Lekhnath, Nepal
subedisusmiss7@gmail.com

Abstract— Reliable and effective data are required in potholes. At this stage of deterioration the vehicle
each stage of planning highway, maintenance & various operating cost increases by 15%. If pavement is further
evaluations such as to identify problems, risk factors, neglected, it starts deteriorating structurally and then
priority treatments, formulate strategy, set targets and vehicle-operating cost (VOC) increases by 50%. This
monitor performance. Current available raw data are is approximately twice the cost of construction of the
not sufficient for the effective evaluation. These data road as it is observed over the life of the road. Pavement
when properly coded and visualized, processed and will normally deteriorate by 40% during first 75% of its
analyzed in a systematic way could give a better life and during next 12% of its life it will deteriorate
understanding. Pavement condition survey with the
further by 40% (Reddy, 2001). The either serious
pavement evaluation and further predicting pavement
performance leads to prioritization needs and develops
problem or deterioration on these roads will fast affect
the works program for highway pavement using GIS the transportation system with consequent adverse
(Geographic Information System). This output result can effects on the socio-economic activities of a nation.
be used to satisfy the requirements of a highway network Thus responsibility for proper evaluation and
evaluation and thereby enhance the efficient management of the road system is required which is
performance of the pavement of road by effective one of the challenging problems. This could be only
maintenance. attained with proper timing of the preventive
maintenance, light rehabilitation, and reasonably
Keywords— Pavement condition Rating, GIS mapping, consistent traffic patterns, roadways can be kept in
Road maintenance priority Mapping good condition for many years at less cost. Timely
preventive maintenance can be achieved by the
I. INTRODUCTION periodical and effective monitoring and evaluation of
Highways are the major channel of transportation the reliable and effective data.
for carrying goods, passengers and services. It is the
The conventional methods of evaluating of Road
most important infrastructure for social and economic
Pavement were not suitable for comprehensive
development of a country. Huge amount of capital
computerization of highway information. Road
investment along the long period of construction is
information is geospatial and has recently being
required for the construction of the road. Pavements
managed in Geographic Information System (GIS)
deteriorate with time and the rate of deterioration
environment. GIS offers some special features that can
depends upon a number of factors like traffic loading,
enhance the approach to highway management
soil sub grade, climate, drainage, environmental factors
(Pantha, 2010). The key element that distinguishes GIS
and properties of pavement materials. Maintenance
from other data systems is the manner in which
work is neither exciting nor as visible as new
geographic data are stored and accessed. The addition
construction and therefore lacks political prestige and
of this spatial dimension to the database system is, of
priority. Ultimately, cost of delayed treatment
course, the source of power of GIS. Linked with the
(rehabilitation) rises many times than the cost timely
spatial dimension, database features enable GIS to
and effective maintenance. The enormity of the cost
capture spatial and topological relationships among
and the lack of finances mandate the development of
geo-referenced entities even when these relationships
systematic approaches and programs for careful and
are not predefined. Visualization helps user to interpret,
appropriate funds allocation.
question, track and visualize data in ways that will
The Road User Cost Study (Reddy, 2001) has establish trends, patterns and relationships, in the form
established that due to improper maintenance and poor of maps, reports and charts. GIS helps answer questions
surface condition of road pavements, there is a and solve problems by looking at data in a way that is
considerable economic loss to the country due to quickly understood and easily shared to allow for better
increased vehicle operation costs. Vehicle operating decision making. Thus, making decision effective. This
cost increases as surface conditions deteriorate. If study analysis with the GIS considering different
timely pavement maintenance is neglected, the surface pavement parameters with the combine interpretation
starts cracking and soon these cracks develop into with the International Roughness Index (IRI) and

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Surface Distress Index (SDI) for the evaluation of road When a small area of pavement is found to be worse
pavement considering a case study of Prithivi highway than the majority of the pavement, it can be inspected
segment. and identified as a "special" inspection unit. This is
used to identify areas of localized deterioration such as
II. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY an area damaged by utility cuts, crossing of
A. Study Area construction traffic, or other localized problems.
The study area lies in western part of Nepal (Fig. 1). C. Methodology for Data Collection
It covers a total roadway length of 18.7 km of Prithivi The major data to be collected for this project is
highway and measures 118.67 km2. Prithivi highway is done through the field investigation. Different
the major highway which is a flexible pavement, that pavement condition is considered such that the
connects the capital city of Kathmandu to Pokhara city combine data gives the effective measures of the
and also the other parts of the country. The Annual pavement condition of the road segment considered.
Average Daily Traffic (AADT) of the part of Prithivi The pavement survey was conducted by using a GPS
highway is 13841 Passenger Car Units (PCU). The and the visual inspection along the segment considered.
average International Roughness Index (IRI) of the part This measured value represents the various pavement
of Prithivi highway is 13.81 m/km from kotre to phenomena including pavement distress, rut depth,
bijyapur khola and 7.56 m/km bijyapur khola to Prithivi patch and potholes and cracks. The pavement surface
chowk. This stretch of the highway suffers from roughness was collected by IRI values (International
frequent detoration of road pavement. As a result, the Roughness Index) for further analysis from the DOR
road service is lower in aspect of comfort, time of site as a secondary data.
travel, safety and other factors.
The IRI was developed by the World Bank in the
1980s and is still in use as pavement condition index.
The IRI is used to define characteristics of longitudinal
profile of a traveled wheel-track and constitutes a
standardized roughness measurement. It is based on the
average rectified slope (ARS), which is a filtered ratio
of a standard vehicle’s accumulated suspension motion
(in mm, inches, etc.) divided by the distance traveled
by the vehicle during the measurement (km, mi, etc.).
The stretch of road under study was divided into a
number of equal sections.
D. Methodology for Data Extraction
A weighted average is used to calculate the
pavement condition when special inspection units are
inspected. The inspection or Data that has been
collected are also geospatially referenced and further
the data are now analyzed by using GIS. Before the
analysis and mapping of the pavement condition, this
study finds the pavement condition rating of the
Figure 1: Study Area segment of the highway individually for the different
indexes and which are:
B. Site Selection
AI= Alligator Cracking Index
The site and stretch to be considered for the
implementation of this project effectively need to have TI= Transverse Cracking Index
different variation of pavement condition. Pavement
LI= Longitudinal Cracking Index
inspection is conducted by considering small
inspection units. An inspection unit is a small segment EI= Edge Cracking Index
of a pavement section or management unit selected of
convenient size which is then inspected in details such BI= Bleeding Index
that the inspection units represents the average PAI= Patching Index
pavement condition surrounding.
PHI= Pothole Index
RI= Rutting Index
DEI= Depression Index
DRI= Drainage Index
Here the different index is calculated by the
assigning the severity level ratting for the condition. In
Figure 2: Pavement Segment Sample this project three severity conditions have been
considered, i.e. Low, Medium, High. And one

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additional severity condition is added i.e. for the e) Bleeding

negligible condition i.e. In field observation it has been found very less and
Very Low = 0 ; Low = 0.25; Medium =0.5 ; High =0.9 minor bleeding along the segments only few place were
and above (i.e. 0.9). seen to have minor bleeding such map below shows the
field conditions of bleeding Refer Fig 7.
III. RESULT AND DISCUSSION
f) Patching
A. Analysis based on Pavement condition rating In field observation it has been seen patching in high
GIS map indicating important areas that contribute density all over the segments and minor patching is
trip generation will consider different facility such as: ovserved near to segment to pirthivichowk as recently
Pavement condition rating is calculated by adding the the highway pavement was reconstructed which is
weighted value rating of the various pavement clearly seen in the map below Refer Fig 8.
conditions index. The GIS map is plotted by overlaying g) Pothole
the weighted value of the considered various index
which is given by: In field observation it has been found very less potholes
as all potholes has recently been patched along the
"Pavement Condition Rating " ("PCR" )"= AI + TI + LI segmens so the map below shows very low potholes
+ EI + BI + PAI + PHI + RI + DEI + DRI" along all segments Refer Fig 9.
a) Alligator Cracking (AI) h) Rutting
In the field observation it has been found that alligator In field observation it has been found very less and
crack was more dominant at segment towards kotre minor rutting along the segments so the map below
than towards pirthivichowk Refer Fig 3. shows very low rutting along all segments.
b) Transverse Cracking Mapping i) Depression
In field observation it has been found very less and In field observation it has been found less and minor
minor traverse cracks along the segments so the map deformation towards the pirthivichowk while high
below shows very low transverse cracking along all deformation at sections near to the kotre which is
segments Refer Fig 4. shown by the map below Refer Fig 10.
c) Longitudinal Cracking j) Drainage
In field observation it has been found very less and In field observation it has been found different drainage
minor Longitudinal cracks along the segments so the condition along the segments which is shown in the
map below shows very low transverse cracking along map below and it shows very power drainage
all segments Refer Fig 5. arrangement along all segments Refer Fig 11.
d) Edge Cracking k) Pavement Condition Rating Mapping
In field observation it has been found high edge After all the mapping for the different condition is done
cracking along the segments taken such the map below the layering of each condition is done in order to get the
shows mostly high edge cracking almost all segments combine effect which is the pavement condition rating
Refer Fig 6. of all segments Refer Fig 12.

Figure 3: Aligator Cracking

Figure 4: Transverse Cracking

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Figure 5: Longitudinal Cracking Figure 6: Edge Cracking

Figure 7: Bleeding Figure 8: Patching

Figure 9: Potholes Figure 11: Drainage

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Figure 11: Drainage Figure 12: Pavement Condition Rating

B. Analysis based on IRI, SDI and PCR comparison PCR Index

Here the International Roughness Index (IRI) &
0.6
Surface Distress Index (SDI) are got from the DOR
and the value starts from Kotre to Prithivichowk.
0.5
(ssrn.aviyaan.com, 2015).

25 IRI Value (2015) 0.4

20 0.3

15 0.2

10 0.1

5
0
P51
P11
P16
P21
P26
P31
P36
P41
P46

P56
P61
P66
P71
P76
P1
P6

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Km Figure 15: Pavement Condition Rating
Figure 13: IRI (International Roughness Index)
Here, this study shows that the IRI and SDI value from
SDI Value (2015) DOR are not as reliable as the data does not seem
2.5
similar to the current pavement condition rating.
2 IV. RESULT AND DISCUSSION
1.5 Field investigation of the Prithivi Highway (Prithivi
Chowk to Kotre ) has been done taking the small
1 segments (200 mtr. to 250 mtr. ) such representation
the average information of the considered length of
0.5 highway. During field investigation the data has been
taken on basis of ranking of the pavement condition.
0 And the data that is obtained is also geo-referenced by
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 the use of GPS which together gives the complete
Km
information of the pavement condition. The data is
Figure 14: SDI (Surface Distress Index) presented on this report. While SDI Index and IRI
Index got from the road department is taken as
secondary data and is compared with the data acquired

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from the field investigation .As the latest data acquired ACKNOWLEDGMENT
is of 2015 AD which shows that the condition of the The authors thank to Associate prof. Dr. Krishna
road has gone worse. Prasad Bhandari, Er. Hemant Tiwari, Er. Anil Marsani,
This approach has important benefit. Currently, Er. Kishwor Kumar Shrestha, Er. Shaligram Regmi, Er.
Road maintenance planning under the constraints of Tarapati Bhattrai, Er Saroj Acharya, Er. Sandip
budget, time and other resources is very challenging. Duwadi, Mrs Sunita Poudel and Er. Saurav Gautam for
Characteristics and spatial distribution of different road their kind assistance to this research..
components makes the decision making process on
priorities very complicated. The process can be made REFERENCES
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