Selecting preventive maintenance treatments in Texas - Using the technique for order preference by similarity to the ideal solution for specific pavement study-3 sites

Although the cost-effectiveness of preventive maintenance (PM) treatments for pavement is important, literature addressing this issue is limited. Even under the well-controlled FHWA long-term pavement performance (LTPP) study, incomplete data and sections exist. Criteria for selecting PM treatments often conflict and have to be compromised. The multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) method is one of numerous approaches available for resolving variations of results. The technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), an MCDM method, was used to analyze successfully all 14 specific pavement study (SPS)-3 sites in Texas. The distress score (DS), international roughness index (IRI), and treatment costs were used as criteria to determine the cost-effectiveness of various PM treatments (thin overlay, slurry seal, crack seal, and chip seal). With TOPSIS, the cost-effectiveness of these treatments can be quantified, with variations caused by subjective judgment thus minimized. When all criteria were considered, the most and least cost-effective methods were chip seal and slurry seal, respectively. When cost was not considered, the most and least effective methods were chip seal and crack seal, respectively. The chip seals performed the best. Chip seals had the most forgiving qualities of all the methods, and they yielded no reflection of the cracking that preceded the treatment applications. The evaluation based on TOPSIS provides a viable option for engineers determining the best PM treatments for pavement in need of maintenance.