RIGID PAVEMENT VS. FLEXIBLE PAVEMENT

This paper compares for India the properties and costs of a cement concrete rigid pavement with those of a flexible pavement, composed of granular material, water-bound macadam, and a bituminous course. The properties most relevant to an economic comparison are the material composition and roughness of the pavement. The advantages and disadvantages of cement concrete pavement compared with flexible pavement are listed. The net present value method of economic evaluation was applied. It was found that the initial capital cost for producing rigid pavement is about twice that of producing flexible pavement. However, the following additional costs must be evaluated for each type of pavement: (1) annual maintenance cost, which is much lower for the concrete pavement; (2) cost of the renewal coat, which is needed every four years for the flexible pavement, but not needed for the concrete pavement; (3) fuel cost of driving a vehicle over the pavement, which increases with its roughness; and (4) vehicle operating cost, which also increases with pavement roughness. The flexible pavement, unlike the concrete pavement, becomes rougher during its working life. Assuming annual inflation and discount rates of 8% and 12%, respectively, flexible pavement becomes more expensive than concrete pavement after about nine years.