1. Ranking of Pavement Preservation Methods and Practices
High Value Research Sweet Sixteen
AASHTO‐RAC/TRB State Representatives Annual Meeting
July 24, 2018
Ranking of Pavement Preservation Methods and Practices
Terry Swygert
South Carolina Department of Transportation
Research conducted by Clemson University
Principal Investigator
Brad Putman, PhD, Associate Professor

2. SCDOT System (90,598 lane-miles)
Background
SCDOT maintains a roadway network consisting of 90,598 lane-miles (41,377 centerline miles ) which is the 4th largest state-maintained highway system in the nation. SCDOT maintains 63% of the state’s public roads.
SCDOT System (90,598 lane-miles)
To reduce infrastructure damage, there are legal weight limit imposed by state and federal government
Besides regular weight trucks, trucks are allowed to carry load more than legal limit by permit
However, efficiency of permit fee is unknown and has not been examined

3. Objective
The objective was to identify methods to improve the implementation of pavement preservation strategies on asphalt concrete roadways in SC with specific attention to pavements in the Non-Federal Aid Secondary system.
To reduce infrastructure damage, there are legal weight limit imposed by state and federal government
Besides regular weight trucks, trucks are allowed to carry load more than legal limit by permit
However, efficiency of permit fee is unknown and has not been examined

4. Pavement Preservation Program
To sum up the objective of a pavement preservation program, it is deciding on “the right treatment on the right pavement at the right time.”
To reduce infrastructure damage, there are legal weight limit imposed by state and federal government
Besides regular weight trucks, trucks are allowed to carry load more than legal limit by permit
However, efficiency of permit fee is unknown and has not been examined

5. Study Tasks
To accomplish the objective, the scope of this study included the following tasks:
Conduct a literature review to compile basic and detailed information about pavement preservation and practices.
Conduct a survey of SCDOT pavement preservation practices across the state.
Evaluate methods to determine appropriate timing of pavement preservation treatments and identification of preservation candidates.
Develop a decision support tool to support pavement preservation treatment selection and timing.
Identify data elements that should be recorded to track the performance of pavement preservation treatments in South Carolina.
Identify economic benefits of pavement preservation treatments.
To reduce infrastructure damage, there are legal weight limit imposed by state and federal government
Besides regular weight trucks, trucks are allowed to carry load more than legal limit by permit
However, efficiency of permit fee is unknown and has not been examined

6. Findings
The research identified five areas to help SCDOT increase the effectiveness of its pavement preservation program by:
Include more educational opportunities for decision makers related to pavement preservation to focus on long-term network preservation and planning.
Consider implementing the decision support concept based on Remaining Service Life to continuously increase the number of lane-mile-years included in the pavement preservation candidate pool (i.e., PQI ≥ 3.0).
Document additional information on preservation treatments to adequately track pavement preservation treatments.
To reduce infrastructure damage, there are legal weight limit imposed by state and federal government
Besides regular weight trucks, trucks are allowed to carry load more than legal limit by permit
However, efficiency of permit fee is unknown and has not been examined

7. Findings
Implement a more detailed pavement condition evaluation protocol to monitor the actual life extension of pavement preservation treatments. This process should include pre- and posttreatment condition assessment followed by routine evaluations on an annual basis.
Consider implementing the system to quantify the benefit-cost ratio of pavement preservation treatments to better understand the effectiveness of different treatments in particular situations.
To reduce infrastructure damage, there are legal weight limit imposed by state and federal government
Besides regular weight trucks, trucks are allowed to carry load more than legal limit by permit
However, efficiency of permit fee is unknown and has not been examined

8. Implementation
SCDOT Maintenance Office has taken great strides to implement these findings including the following:
More Educational Opportunities
Evaluation protocols and cost-benefits of preservation treatments will be offered this fall in Pavement Preservation Level II training utilizing newly developed tools from this research project (i.e., the Pavement Preservation Treatment Selection worksheet and Pavement Preservation Treatment Benefit-Cost analysis tool).
To reduce infrastructure damage, there are legal weight limit imposed by state and federal government
Besides regular weight trucks, trucks are allowed to carry load more than legal limit by permit
However, efficiency of permit fee is unknown and has not been examined

9. Implementation
Implementing the Decision Support Concept based on Remaining Service Life
The Director of Maintenance Office has established a Preservation Pool of Candidates report through the Department’s Intelligent Transportation Management application identifying segments with PQI’s >= 3.2 & <=4.0. The reporting feature should aid field personnel with project selection by using a targeted approach to determine routes eligible for various pavement preservation treatments.

10. Implementation
Better Assessment of Treatment Options that takes Costs and Benefits into account
Implementation efforts are now underway, with a detailed analysis of various roadway treatments—chip seals, microsurfacing, and ultra-thin lift overlays—that will feed into and improve the agency’s pavement management system and decision-making tools.

11. SCDOT Strategic Plan
Lastly, this research project directly aligns and supports the 2nd Goal of the SCDOT Strategic Plan for maintaining and preserving the existing transportation infrastructure. This study has provided SCDOT with a clear direction for a strategic and targeted approach to identify and place the right treatment on the right road at the right time.
4 private entities, 2 public organization
Few other organization did not response

12. For more information, contact: Dr. Bradley J. Putman
Professor of Civil Engineering
Clemson University at
To reduce infrastructure damage, there are legal weight limit imposed by state and federal government
Besides regular weight trucks, trucks are allowed to carry load more than legal limit by permit
However, efficiency of permit fee is unknown and has not been examined
A copy of the final report is available at the SCDOT Research Website located at