Establishment of calibration factors for pavement roughness deterioration model in southeast Queensland

Abstract This paper presents the outcomes of the research in establishing the calibration factors for pavement roughness deterioration model for six local council regions in southeast Queensland (SEQ). To achieve the objective, a large number of long-term pavement performance (LTPP) test sites were set up throughout the six SEQ regions. The methodology for the selection of the SEQ-LTPP test sites and the rationale behind the design of the LTPP site selection matrix are discussed. Pavement condition data were collected from the LTPP test sites over a period of five years. Modelling of the pavement deterioration at the test sites were carried out using the SMEC pavement management system (SMEC PMS) with HDM-III deterioration models. The aim was to determine the most appropriate HDM-III roughness deterioration factors for the six regions covered in the study. Three statistical techniques, namely, linear rate of roughness deterioration, regression analysis and statistical t test approach, were used in analysing the roughness data obtained from the LTPP sites and the predicted roughness data generated by the SMEC PMS. The statistical analysis established the accuracy of the prediction generated by a pavement deterioration dataset and confirmed whether the prediction yields significant or no significant deviation from the observed roughness data. Consequently, a set of pavement deterioration factors has been recommended for use in the SMEC PMS for SEQ regions.