Over the years, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has changed itsemphasis from construction to preservation of public highways. As such, there is greatinterest in assessing cost efficacy of a pavement preservation strategy. This paper aims topresent the functional and structural benefits of microsurfacing applications at highwaysections in Indiana. To achieve this goal, comprehensive monitoring and data analysiswas performed using the Pavement Condition Rating (PCR), Structure Number (SN), andsurface roughness (IRI) for in-situ performance evaluation. According to the deflectionand roughness analysis, an improvement was observed in SN and IRI during the early lifeof the pavement. Furthermore, no significant difference was obtained over the followingtwo years. Application of the microsurfacing resulted in a significant rise in PCR, SN anddecline in IRI. A similar result was found at the resurfacing site. Pavement withmicrosurface sections had stable roughness with only a two point increase every year.The two control sections (SR-68 and SR-145) have had four point increases on average.The IRI for SR-58 resurfacing was 48 in. /mile at 2009 (after construction), which isalmost half of the 2008 (before construction) IRI value. The rates of decline of the SN,IRI were no different statistically for untreated control sections, and the rate of decline ofthe PCR was slightly higher than in the pavement preservation project, includingresurfacing and microsurfacing. The cost study indicated that microsurfacing would bedeemed cost effective if it could provide more than 1.6 years service life, and resurfacingwould be cost effective if it could provide more than 3 years service life. Consideringcost as well as performance, pavement preservation should be an effective strategy toeliminate or retard damage. If applied properly, microsurfacing is an economicalalternative to conventional resurfacing. The case study results demonstrate thatmicrosurfacing is a cost-effectiveness treatment in addressing pavement distresses and inextending pavement life in general.
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