Development of gravel road management system

One of the main objectives of road asset management is using a comprehensive and systematic approach to maintenance management. Methods for needs assessment and works programming are developed for maintenance of gravel roads, and the information needs of the management process are investigated. In addition, input for setting MBO (Management by objectives) goals and policy development are produced. The current index that describes the disadvantage caused by spring thaw weakening of gravel roads needs to be revised, so that the significance to traffic and regional significance of the road network are better taken into account. This can be achieved by using significance classification. The methods used for assessing funding should consider the effect of funding levels the condition distribution. Maintenance works programming is a multiobjective decision-making situation where several possibly clashing objectives need to be dealt with systematically. The needs assessment and works programming of gravel road rehabilitation works are mainly based on inventory of damages due to spring thaw weakening. In addition, information of the functional and technical condition of the drainage system is needed. Measurements using the FWD and GPR can be done when needed, to be used primarily as input to rehabilitation design. In condition data collection, the long-term objective is to replace visual inventories with automated procedures whenever possible, and store digital images of the road assets into the road data banks. The rehabilitation works are targeted at the weak spots on the road; this practice should be developed towards repairing links as whole entities. Improving drainage as part of the rehabilitation works is of primary importance. Currently, information from gravel roads are in the Road data bank and a separate gravel road data bank, which is to be replaced within a few years time. The strategic data banks of Finnra (the Finnish Road Administration) are Road data bank, Bridge register and Road condition data bank. The information from gravel roads are to be taken primarily into these data banks. Finnra needs to know the surface condition (serviceability) of the private road network eligible for state subsidies. Almost all of the private roads are gravel roads, therefore network level data collection on private roads eligible for state subsidies can be done as part of serviceability measurements on public gravel roads. This information should be stored into the Finnra data banks. Information of the condition of individual road sections is needed for selecting and designing the maintenance works, which the task of each private road manager. This report may be found at http://alk.tiehallinto.fi/julkaisut/pdf/3200986-v-voh_soratiet_tavtila_.pdf