Spatial Analyses of Pavement Condition at Intersection Sites

Abstract

Repeated and periodic assessments of pavement conditions at intersection sites to improve the serviceability of intersection, is an essential component of the transportation system. Further, continuous maintenance of deterioration and defects that appear on the surface layers of pavement at intersection sites according to pavement condition indices (PCI), is a vital process in pavement management. This research aims at conducting spatial analysis for pavement conditions at intersection sites. The application of the developed measure is demonstrated for three signalized intersections in Hilla city, Iraq, by using distress definition. Point density Estimation (PDE) as spatial analyses and interpolation tool (IDW) in ArcGIS software is used to estimate the position intensity. PDE for Pavement condition applications enables the visualization and extraction of distress density in a selected zone or a network of road, which gives the makers of decision an advanced vision to the problem within a location. In this paper, PDE is used to generate potential distress hotspots map based on distress definition data. The result of this research shows the suitability of the heat map for the maintenance entitlement of a particular intersection. It gives a clear indication of the deterioration in the pavement layers depending on the severity of the colours shown in the heat map. For instance, a section of high score of PCI may include a very deteriorating units of low score of PCI due to the presence of many defects. Hence, it can be concluded that, it is doubtful that the PCI section represents the reality of all units. As a sample section (D) of the AL Thawra intersection where there were damaged units, PCI reached 55, 56, 59, while the PCI of section (D) was 74. The developed heat map demonstrates deterioration condition thoroughly for all units and provides advanced vision to pavement condition at the studied sites.