Distress points for four types of distress in rigid pavements

This paper describes how the success of asset management of a transportation infrastructure requires accurate data regarding costs, materials, traffic, and conditions. The conditions of the transportation infrastructure are typically indexed (rut index, ride quality index and so forth) relative to a rating scale. The value of the index is calculated based upon distress points assigned to each type of distress based on its severity level and extent. Such distress points cannot be established in an arbitrary fashion. They should be based on the true conditions of the transportation infrastructure, the cost of repair and the overall impact of the distress on the structural integrity of the transportation infrastructure. The paper presents distress points for four rigid pavement distresses. The values of the distress points are based on the cost of repair, and the impact of the distress on the safety and the rate of deterioration of the pavement.