Network Optimization

This tool generates the optimal pavement maintenance and rehabilitation strategies at the network-level. FIGURE B- 49 shows the user interface.

FIGURE B- 49. Network Optimization User Interface Select Pavement Network

Users can select the appropriate pavement network for optimization by choosing the system priority and the district.

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This group box shows the mileage information and the current deficiency level for each pavement type of the selected network.

Unit Treatment Cost Per Lane Mile

Users can enter the unit cost for each type of treatment, including Preventive Maintenance, Thin Overlay, Minor Rehab and Major Rehab.

Objective

Users can choose the appropriate objective function by selecting the corresponding radio button, and define the analysis period in the combo box.

Condition Constraints

Users can set pavement network condition level target in the “Deficiency Target” box, and specify the number of years it would take to achieve the target in the “Years to Reach Target” box.

Allowable Rehab Treatment

Users can select the allowable treatments for each pavement condition category by checking corresponding checkbox.

Max Available Budget

Users can enter the maximum available budget for each year in the analysis period if there is a budget constrain in the problem to be analyzed.

Solution

This group box shows the optimal solution including: the required minimum average annual budget (shown in the text box), the recommended rehabilitation policy and budget allocation (by clicking the “View Policy” button), and the projected pavement network condition distribution (by clicking the “View Condition” button).

Users can also apply the optimized treatment policy to other districts by selecting the district in the “District” combo box.

Example 1:

To calculate the minimum budget required to reduce the deficiency level of the priority system to 1% within three years and to determine the corresponding fund allocation among different maintenance and rehabilitation treatments, assuming that the default allowable treatments are used, the maximum available budget for each year is $ 150 million, and the analysis period is 20 years, please follow:

1. Select “P” under “System” and “All districts” under “District”.

2. In the “Objective” group box, select “Minimize the average annual expenditure” and choose “20” under “Analysis Period”.

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3. In the “Condition Constraints” group box, select “1” under “Deficiency Level” and select “3” under “Years to Reach Target”.

4. In the “Max Available Budget” group box, select “Yes” under “Do you have budget constraints?”, enter “150” under “2011”, and then click on “Populate”.

5. Click on “Execute”.

Outputs:

In the “Solution” group box, the average annual budget “$131.65” is shown in the text box, as presented in FIGURE B- 50.

FIGURE B- 50. The Optimized Solution for Example 1

The projected pavement network condition distribution chart and the recommended treatment budget and allocation for each year are shown in FIGURE B- 51 and FIGURE B- 52 respectively. To save the chart, please click on the “Export” button.

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FIGURE B- 52. Recommended Treatment Budget and Allocation for Example 1

To view the “Projected Condition Distribution” table as shown in FIGURE B- 53, please click on the “View Condition” button in the “Solution” group box.

FIGURE B- 53. Projected Condition Distribution Table for Example 1

To view the “Recommended Budget and Treatment Mileage” table as shown in FIGURE B- 54, please click on the “View Policy” button in the “Solution” group box.

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FIGURE B- 54. Recommended Budget and Treatment Mileage Table for Example 1

To apply the statewide optimized treatment policy to district 1, please select “1” under “District” in the “Solution” group box, and then click on the “Apply Policy” button.

The projected pavement network condition distribution chart and the recommended treatment budget and allocation for district 1 obtained by applying the statewide policy are shown in FIGURE B- 55 and FIGURE B- 56 respectively. The “Projected Condition Distribution” table and the “Recommended Budget and Treatment Mileage” table are presented in FIGURE B- 57 and FIGURE B- 58 respectively.

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FIGURE B- 56. Recommended Treatment Budget and Allocation for District 1

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FIGURE B- 58. Recommended Budget and Treatment Mileage Table for District 1

Example 2:

This example is to illustrate the process of maximizing the benefit of the available budget. It is assumed that the available annual budget is $150 million, the default allowable treatments are used, and the analysis period is 20 years. To generate the pavement maintenance and rehabilitation strategy which maximizes the improvement of the priority system pavement network condition, please follow:

1. Select “P” under “System” and “All districts” under “District”.

2. In the “Objective” group box, select “Maximize the pavement condition level” and choose “20” under “Analysis Period”.

3. In the “Max Available Budget” group box, select “Yes” under “Do you have budget constraints?”, enter “150” under “2011”, and then click on “Populate”.

4. Click on “Execute”.

Outputs:

The projected pavement network condition distribution chart and the recommended treatment budget and allocation for each year are shown in FIGURE B- 59 and FIGURE B- 60 respectively. To save the chart, please click on the “Export” button.

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FIGURE B- 59. Projected Pavement Network Condition Distribution for Example 2

FIGURE B- 60. Recommended Treatment Budget and Allocation for Example 2

As described in Example 1, to view the “Projected Condition Distribution” table please click on the “View Condition” button, to view the “Recommended Budget and Treatment Mileage” table, please click on the “View Policy” button, and to apply the optimized treatment policy to other districts, please select the appropriate district under “District” in the “Solution” group box, and then click on the “Apply Policy” button.

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SECTION 9. WINDOW MENU

The “Window” menu includes normal Microsoft functions for controlling the simultaneous display of multiple open windows.

FIGURE B- 61. ODOTPMIS Window Menu