WISCONSIN'S PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM

The development of a comprehensive pavement management system (PMS) began in Wisconsin in 1987. Since its inception the objectives of the PMS have continued to evolve. Wisconsin has a geographic information system-based PMS that provides needed spatial and mapping capabilities. The backbone of the system employs pavement inventory data and a decision support system to develop improvement/maintenance programs. The system also provides a data base for complex pavement modeling efforts as well as network (statewide) planning efforts. Wisconsin's PMS is an expert system incorporating the knowledge and wisdom of Department of Transportation engineers/practitioners into decision rules for problem definition, treatment selection, and prioritization of projects/programs. First, the systems logic determines the problems associated with each pavement section (nominal 1 mi in length) and suggests a range of treatments to repair all of the problems noted. Highway emphasis levels that give more intensive treatments to the higher-emphasis routes are assigned. The pavement sections are then aggregated into improvement sections (a section whose length is generally more typical of improvement or maintenance projects), with low-, nominal-, and high-level treatment strategies recommended for the entire section. The final treatment selected is based on the relative impacts of these five factors: improvement in ride, improvement in distress rating, user inconvenience, initial cost, and life cycle cost. The final step takes all projects with their final treatment selections and places them into priority order by using the five factors listed above plus a determination of the remaining service life. The ultimate product is a recommended 6-year improvement program and a 3-year maintenance program.