Development of a Pavement Surface Performance Measure for the British Columbia Pavement Management System

Pavement surface distress is a key performance measure used in asset management systems for monitoring the current condition of a pavement network and predicting future condition. It is also one of primary indicators used by highway agencies for rehabilitation and maintenance programming. The selection and development of a pavement surface distress index can be one of the most perplexing problems facing an agency during the early stages of implementing a pavement management system. There are several mathematical models available for converting the survey data into a composite index, each with its own merits and requirements. Compounding this, is the need for some level of calibration to more accurately reflect local survey methods and conditions. This paper presents a practical and generic methodology that the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Highways (BCMoTH) followed for developing, calibrating and implementing a composite pavement distress index.