A unified approach for allocation of highway pavement costs

Abstract

There is a need to allocate various components of highway pavement costs in a unified and consistent manner in highway cost allocation analysis. Previous cost allocation studies have not placed sufficient emphasis on this aspect. This paper presents a comprehensive approach to allocate highway pavement costs. In contrast to the elaborate disaggregate distress function approach by the 1982 Federal Cost Allocation Study, the approach presented is based upon the aggregate performance of a pavement. The methodology was developed and used in the 1983–1984 Indiana Highway Cost Allocation Study to allocate pavement construction, maintenance and rehabilitation costs.