A multi-objective optimization-based pavement management decision-support system for enhancing pavement sustainability

摘要

Current practice adopted by highway agencies with regards to pavement management, has mostly consisted of employing life cycle costs analysis (LCCA) systems to evaluate the overall long-term economic efficiency of competing pavement design and maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) activities alternatives. This way of supporting the decision-making process as it relates to pavement management, in which little or no importance is given to environmental considerations, suggests the need for pavement management decision-support systems (DSS), which, by integrating multi-disciplinary and complementary pavement life cycle modelling approaches, enable the decision makers (DMs) to properly account for, consider and assess the lifetime impacts of their decisions and practices regarding sustainability goals and targets. This only can be achieved by employing techniques and tools provided with a comprehensive and wide-scoped cradle-to-grave capacity of analysis.