Comparison of Pavement Network Management Tools Based on Linear and Non-linear Optimization Methods

Transportation officials at the state and local governments must make the best use of available budget to maintain the existing street network under the current budget environment. Mathematical optimization models can help to identify the optimal maintenance and rehabilitation strategy. This paper compares a linear versus a non-linear optimization model for pavement network management. Both models use the Markov transitional probabilities to represent pavement network deterioration, and both have been implemented as spreadsheet tools for use by municipalities. These tools allow users to estimate the minimum budget required to maintain a pavement network to achieve a desired network condition. For a given budget, the tools can be used to determine the budget allocation required to achieve the best network condition. The algorithms for both models are presented, and the results produced from the two models are compared.