Decision Support Model for Road Pavements Based on Whole Life Costing, Life Cycle Analysis and Multi-Criteria Analysis

In response to the growing importance of sustainable building, designers, consultants and pavement managers now tend to make more rational decisions than before when comparing the pros and cons of the construction, maintenance and management of various types of road pavements. Asphalt and concrete pavements offer specific advantages that need to be compared when selecting the best option for long-life pavements. Financial decisions can be based on an analysis of whole life costs, but other important aspects are more difficult to quantify. Aspects such as construction risks, the need for maintenance and its impact on accessibility, congestion, road user safety and energy emissions must be qualified and weighted when conducting a comprehensive comparison of pavement performance. A CROW working group has developed a decision support model that can be used to take into account financial, technical, environmental and other aspects when selecting a certain type of road pavement. This paper describes the methodology used and presents two examples of the model’s application.