Definition of the 'Cradle-to-Grave' Pavement Management Process

摘要

The highway transportation system is vital to the mobility of goods and people in Texas. Pavements are an important component of the highway transportation infrastructure, accounting for the single largest share of the overall investment in highway infrastructure. Because of the large network of highways in Texas, a tremendous amount of money is spent each year on the construction of new pavements and the maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) of existing pavements. To maximize the benefits and minimize the overall costs associated with the process, a systematic and scientific approach is needed to manage the pavements. Pavement Management (PM) is the systematic process of planning, designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining pavements in a cost-effective manner. A Pavement Management System (PMS), as opposed to pavement management, is composed of operational packages, including methods, procedures, data, software, policies, decisions, etc., that link and enable the carrying out of all the activities involved in pavement management.