Use of Pavement Management System Data to Monitor Performance of Pavements under Warranty

Abstract

Pavement warranty is an innovative contracting procedure increasingly adopted by highway agencies. Many states view implementing warranties as a way to protect their investment in pavement construction. The major benefit of pavement warranty is enhanced pavement performance. However, establishing warranty criteria and monitoring the performance of warranted pavement are two technical issues that must be resolved. This paper presents the discoveries of a research project supported by FHWA to investigate the effectiveness of using the pavement management system (PMS) to monitor the performance of pavement under warranty. It has been discovered that most states establish their warranty specifications on the basis of performance data from their PMS database by using statistical analyses, expert opinions, and adaptation of other states’ specifications. They also use the PMS data to monitor the performance of both warranty and nonwarranty pavements because the essential data, like ride, cracking, and rutting, are available in the database and are convenient for use. This paper also documents the unique features of the warranty specifications, including the warranty period, performance indicators, data collection methods, performance thresholds, remedial actions, and how the PMS database can be used to track the performance of pavements under warranty in five states: Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, Florida, and Michigan. Some comparisons of the performances of the warranted pavements and those of nonwarranted pavements of similar conditions are also presented. The survey indicated that an integrated PMS that links the materials and traffic database would offer better efficiency to monitor and analyze the performance of both warranty and nonwarranty pavements.