An efficient road transportation system is of vital importance to the economy of a nation. Road transport occupies a dominant position in the overall transportation system of India due to its advantages in terms of easy availability, flexibility of operation, door-to-door service and reliability. In India, the growth of road traffic in the post-Independence era has been quite unprecedented, both in terms of goods and passenger traffic. The vehicular traffic has increased manifold in the recent past. But unfortunately, the growth in the road network has not been commensurate with the huge growth in vehicular population.
The axle loadings have also been much heavier than the specified limit of 10.2 tons. Consequently, the existing highway network is being heavily stressed, resulting in accelerated deterioration of road pavements leading to their premature failure. But the maintenance and rehabilitation measures of pavements are based only on subjective judgment and on the past experience of the highway engineers. Therefore, there is a need for developing a scientific approach towards determining the maintenance and rehabilitation requirements. In such a situation, development and practice of an efficient Pavement Maintenance Management System (PMMS) would provide objective information and useful analysis to ensure consistent, and cost-effective decisions for preservation of the existing road network.
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