Incorporating fast-track pavement repair methods into current infrastructure management practices

Pavement infrastructure deteriorates due to environmental conditions, traffic loading, and material aging. Regular maintenance and repair is required to maintain an acceptable level of service. High-traffic volumes and heavy traffic can increase the rate of pavement deterioration, necessitating more frequent rehabilitation or maintenance on these roadways. However, construction is often limited to a short window to minimize user impacts. Another common problem in asphalt roadways is pavement cracking; it is important to repair cracking to prevent further deterioration of the roadway. Accelerated construction or "fast-track" methods provide a solution to repair and extend the service life of pavement infrastructure, quickly, easily, and with minimal construction-related delays. Throughout this paper, two examples of fast track pavement repair methods are discussed and compared to traditional repair methods. Precast concrete inlay panels are used to rapidly rehabilitate structural rutting on high traffic volume highways, and infrared heating technology is used to quickly repair cracking of asphalt pavement. The objective of this paper is to examine the innovation, benefits, and drawbacks of these fast-track pavement rehabilitation methods and to present their role in pavement management. This paper investigates the project-level decision-making process of selecting between these new fast-track repair techniques and the existing traditional repair methods by examining various decision criteria.