Cost Effectiveness Analysis of Design Methods for Rigid and Flexible Pavement: A Case Study of Urban Road

Abstract

Roads play a vital role in a country's economic, cultural, and social development, with significant budget allocations financial each year. Expenses for road construction include design, material acquisition, construction equipment, maintenance, rehabilitation, and overall operations, requiring substantial government investment. A meticulous evaluation of alternatives is essential before implementing such projects. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the cost-effectiveness of three design methods (AASHTO, AI, PCA) on an 8 km urban road, considering initial construction costs. Traffic data collected over two years resulted in a total estimated traffic load of 2.16 x 106 ESAL for the road. The findings indicate that flexible pavement is more cost-effective than rigid pavement. Among flexible pavement design methods (AASHTO and AI), AI emerges as the most cost-effective. For rigid pavement design methods (AASHTO and PCA), PCA proves to be the most cost-effective, while rigid pavement stands out as the most expensive option.