Playing Catch-Up: Impacts of Pavement Lifespan on Public Works Performance

One of the most significant challenges for Public Works organizations is managing maintenance programs for assets with long lifespans, such as pavements. Data management, needs prioritization, contracting, and execution are difficult tasks by themselves. But underlying these practical considerations is a fundamental issue: Public Works officials must manage long term maintenance and repair programs which span decades in a system where:

• Budgets are set annually
• Asset inventory grows annually
• Expected lifespans can vary based on outside factors
• Multiple cost inputs are escalating

In this session, we will examine this problem using the example of a municipal pavement inventory. We’ll look at the impacts various factors have on the success of a long-term maintenance and repair program, and then demonstrate how improving pavement lifespans can deliver significant quantifiable benefits. We’ll conclude with a discussion of specific measures which can be implemented to improve pavement lifespans and capture these benefits.