MAINTENANCE STRATEGY AND BUDGETING FOR ROAD NETWORK IN KARNATAKA STATE USING HDM-4

Abstract

The Public Works, Ports, and Inland Water Transport Department of Karnataka, India, oversees a diverse road network. This network spans approximately 76,060 km and includes 6,572 km of National Highways, 19,587 km of State Highways, and 49,910 km of Major District Roads. The variety of road types presents a unique challenge in developing a comprehensive maintenance strategy and budgeting plan.

This study, of significant importance, focuses on developing an optimal maintenance strategy for 17,472 km of State Highways (SH) and Major District Roads (MDRs) within the Core Road Network (CRN) of Karnataka. The data collection process was thorough, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the results. Functional condition data, such as roughness, rut depth, surface distress (cracking, ravelling, patching), and geometric characteristics, were collected using a laser-based Road Condition Data Collection Vehicle (RCDCV). Structural pavement conditions were assessed using a Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD), and maintenance and rehabilitation history was obtained from the Department's Road Information System.

The collected data were used for program-level analysis to generate the Annual Works Program (AWP) and optimize budgets for various alternatives over a 10-year analysis period using HDM-4. The findings of this study have direct and practical implications, as they demonstrate the impact of different maintenance and rehabilitation strategies on pavement deterioration under varying budget constraints. One budget alternative could reduce the International Roughness Index (IRI) from 6.3 to around 3.5 within four years, with an average annual budget of 35,000 million INR. Maintaining the network at an average IRI of 3.5 for the subsequent six years would require an average annual budget of 5,000 million INR.