Abstract
Abstract Pavements play an essential role in the handling of cargo in port areas. This led the Spanish State Ports Authority, together with the Technical University of Madrid (UPM), to embark on an initiative these past ten years to improve pavements in Spanish ports. Part of the doctorate program at UPM on port pavement maintenance is being developed into a pavement condition index for container storage and operation areas. This index includes some aspects of the pavement that directly affects operations, namely, pavement distresses related to roughness, terminal zone, occupancy level and capacity of the terminal, and importance assessed by traffic intensity. Pavement roughness directly affects driver comfort, working speed and pace of work, crane breakdowns, and general operation efficiency. The other factor regarding pavement condition considers the real influence on the transportation line in terms of cost. All the steps of the process were checked by an expert panel formed by technicians involved in this activity area to complete a good functional assessment process for port pavements.
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