LIFE CYCLE COST ANALYSIS WITH CONSTRAINED AND

UNCONSTRAINED BUDGET FOR CITY ROAD NETWORK

Amrit pal Singh*, Tanuj Chopra**
*Engineer, PWD, Punjab
**Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Thapar University,
Patiala. Punjab
ABSTRACT
The objective of this study is to develop a powerful system for the
analysis of pavement management and investment strategies for the
maintenance of the huge urban road network. The Highway Development
and Management-4 (HDM-4) software has been used for strategy and
program analysis of 10 road sections of Noida City. The HDM-4 tool
provides the deterministic approach in data input and processing also
utilizes data on existing road condition, traffic volume and composition to
predict road deterioration as per the urban road conditions in terms of IRI
value. HDM-4 simulates total life cycle conditions and costs for an analysis
period under a user specified scenario of circumstances. A network
economic evaluation is the most challenging use of the model, but the
effort is well justified due to the potential savings on transportation costs
achieved by comparing various alternatives and performing a budget
constraint optimization. This study presents guidelines of HDM-4 analysis,
reviews the applied methodology, input requirements and also shows
future directions in order to apply HDM-4 effectively according to available
urban conditions especially the mix traffic and the drainage conditions of
the Noida city.
The methodology described here attempts to take advantage of all
the capabilities of HDM-4, deal with the limitations of HDM-4, and produce
usable results. The examples presented are actual HDM-4 inputs and
results obtained from applying the model in many road stretches in the
Noida city. The examples, which were selected from different evaluations
performed on different roads to best illustrate a given evaluation step, do
not otherwise reflect a particular pattern or relationship. The methodology
used by the author calls for HDM-4 analysts to first identify the possible
road works and then determine which road works to evaluate for each
road class as a function of the traffic and other characteristics of the road
class. For example, the works selected could be: (i) preventive treatment
or surface treatment works for roads in good condition, (ii) surface
treatment or asphalt concrete resurfacing works for roads in fair condition,
and (iii) strengthening or reconstruction works for road in poor condition.
It is important that the selected road works per road class be feasible from
a purely technical point of view to produce realistic results.
HDM-4 allows for the definition of condition-responsive and
scheduled project alternatives, for example, the maintenance schedule
can be set up to execute an overlay when roughness reaches 4.0 IRI or
execute an overlay every 15 years. However, under the proposed

methodology, project alternatives are defined so that a given road work is

scheduled in a given calendar year followed by a condition-responsive
maintenance policy that keeps the road in good condition after the road
work is executed. By defining the project alternatives this way, all possible
combinations of road works and timing of road works are considered in the
evaluation, making it easier to explore the corresponding results. Purely
condition-responsive or scheduled project alternatives (for example,
executing overlay at 4.0 IRI or every 15 years) are not recommended
because: (i) the interval between roads works should change over time
due to the traffic growth; (ii) over an evaluation period, the same road
works typically should not be repeated (for example, if one defines an
alternative as 100 mm overlay when roughness reaches 4.0 IRI, the first
overlay of 100 mm may be reasonable, but another overlay of 100 mm as
a second capital work may be unreasonable); and (iii) the management of
HDM-4 outputs is easier if one schedules the first road work in a given
calendar year because the timing of the first road work can be coded on
the project alternative code and name, making it easier to identify the
solution of each road class.
The Pavement Management System methodology, developed in this
study would be useful for the highway agencies in planning pavement
maintenance strategies in a scientific manner and ensuring rational
utilization of limited maintenance funds. Graphical presentations of PMS
results will also be useful for gaining better support from decision-makers,
for adequate and timely fund allocations for preservation of the highway
network. This methodology may be used for preparing the maintenance
management programme for the National Highways covered under the
prestigious National Highway Development Programme (NHDP) of India.
Once this PMS methodology for National Highway network is implemented
and made operational for a few years; this would serve as a window to
State Governments, particularly for State Highways and Major District
Roads. Thereafter, similar kind of PMS may be developed for other
categories of roads such as State Highways and Major District Roads,
using the inputs of PMS methodology presented in this study.