Modeling Long-Term Flexible Pavement Performance of Ontario Highways

The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) uses several multiple performance indices in the newly implemented MTO Second Generation Pavement Management System (PMS/2). These indices can be used jointly or individually to assess pavement performance in terms of overall Pavement Condition Index (PCI), ride comfort index (RCI), International Roughness Index (IRI), and Distress Manifestation Index (DMI). Each of the evaluation indices may be used to address current pavement serviceability and predict future trends in functional adequacy, such as pavement structural strength and distresses. This study presents the long-term flexible pavement performance observed in the field after reconstruction or rehabilitation, as represented by a number of pavement maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) strategies that are commonly used for preservation of the Ontario highway network. The paper concludes with discussions and recommendations to modify the existing pavement performance prediction models that are currently used in the PMS/2 through correlation with the actually observed pavement performance trends for each type of pavement rehabilitation/reconstruction treatment.