EVALUATING ETHIOPIAN ROADS ADMINISTRATION’S PROJECT LEVEL PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PRACTICES FOR MAINTENANCE ROAD (A CASE STUDY SEBETA TO TULUBOLO ROAD CORRIDOR)

Abstract

A pavement management system is A set of tools that assist decision-makers in funding optimum strategies for existing pavement condition by evaluation and maintenance of the pavement to reserve acceptable serviceability for the desired period. Alem-Gena district manages the entire district pavement, currently the district road network coverage 14.31% of the whole country. The main objective of this research work was to evaluate the pavement management system to enhance decision-making efficiency for road network maintenance at the project level by evaluating the pavement distress using the micro paver softwear for the road section from Alem Gena to Tulubollo. To achieve the desired objectives, a systematic methodology was performed which included desk study, questionnaires, interviews, and field survey to capture the road surface condition such as type of distress, level of severity, and quantity on each 500-meter sample unit and DCP and Benkelman beam deflection measurement tests were performed for pavement condition. The pavement condition survey along the road shows it was affected by different failure types such as alligator cracking, bleeding, block cracking, corrugation, potholes, rutting, etc. The study assessed questionnaire and interview responses and measured them using the average index method. Also using survey data, Paver Software calculates a pavement condition index that should range from (zero) which indicates a failing pavement condition to (100) which indicates a good pavement condition. The state of the pavement helps to predict the need for maintenance and rehabilitation. The paver result shows that the PCI value ranges from 55 to 81. This shows that all sections of the road have different types of pavement condition ratings (Satisfactory, Fair, and Poor), with 9.4% satisfactory (requiring preventative maintenance), 23.4% fair (best suited for rehabilitation), and 67.2% poor (also needing rehabilitation). The interview and Questionary results show a lack of adequate processes for evaluating pavement conditions, structuring information, surface condition assessment, ranking, and selecting treatments. These are critical inputs for decision makers in determining optimal maintenance strategies to perform project-level pavement management systems. In conclusion, the findings indicate that the main challenges in the ERA are the absence of a well established pavement maintenance management system, well-defined maintenance prioritizing method, and treatment selection techniques. In line with this, ERA/Alemgena district shall implement giving sufficient attention to the sector, allocate adequate budget, improve the skill of professionals, and adopt a well-organized pavement management system for maintenance road.