DEVELOPMENT OF COMPOSITE PERFORMANCE INDICES FOR RURAL ROADS IN UTTARAKHAND

Abstract

Rural roads have a share of 80% of total road network in India. It is necessary to develop rural transport infrastructure in which maintenance of rural road is an important activity. By neglecting to maintain these roads, deterioration rapidly increases over time leading to inaccessibility and immobility in rural areas. Out of the estimated value of maintenance of the existing rural road network, only 20-30% is available. Preserving the investment without adequate funds for maintenance is indeed a tough task The main problems associated with rural roads in India are: lack of historical pavement performance database for developing pavement performance models; the design of pavements and selection of maintenance and rehabilitation alternatives based on subjective judgments and engineering experience of the road engineers only; and lack of timely maintenance. Thus, there is an immediate need to carry out the pavement performance study for rural roads, which will be useful in developing pavement performance models and in suggesting maintenance strategies for the preservation of huge network of roads. This scientific approach will also be helpful in optimal utilization the constrained maintenance budget provisions for a developing country like India. The broad objective of the present study is to carry out the pavement performance study for developing pavement composite performance indices for all type of terrain conditions which will be useful for suggesting maintenance strategy for Rural roads. In present study, an attempt has been made to calibrate the AASHO equation for Present Serviceability Index (PSI) and finding out the suitability of this equation in Indian pavement condition. PSI model for all type of terrain conditions has been developed by modifying AASHO equation. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) solution based predicted PSI model has also been developed. Based on the developed PSI model, the maintenance alternatives for all types of terrain conditions have been suggested.