An Integrated Information System for Highway Asset Management

The University of Arkansas has engaged in developing a digital highway data vehicle in the past few years. A primarily goal for this research was to provide the industry a new platform to collect and analyze roadway and pavement condition data. Condition data and related analysis on existing roadway and roadside structure are important for a highway department in the decision making process for asset management and rehabilitation, improvement of road geometric and re-alignment study, and traffic studies. The decision-making process relies on the availability of accurate and adequate data through the use of data collection devices and related information systems. The paper presents technologies used in the digital data vehicle, including vision and imaging, high performance sensors, Global Positioning System (GPS), microcomputers, and automated data storage and processing components. A new design and implementation of a multi-function highway data vehicle are presented. The benefits of using the new technologies are discussed. An approach is revealed on application of an integrated information system for managing pavements (MMHIS). Particularly, advancements on the automated survey of pavement distresses are discussed. This automated survey system achieves real-time processing of complete pavement surfaces at network level, the images of which are collected and archived in high-resolution digital format. Finally, the application of three new distress protocols is demonstrated with the automated system.