Multi-objective optimization in highway pavement maintenance and rehabilitation project selection and scheduling: A state-of-the-art review

Abstract

The motivation for cost-effective management of highway pavements is evidenced not only by the massive expenditures associated with these activities at a national level but also by the consequences of poor pavement condition on road users. This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of multi-objective optimization (MOO) problems that have been formulated and solution techniques that have been used in selecting and scheduling highway pavement rehabilitation and maintenance activities. First, the paper presents a taxonomy and hierarchy for these activities, the role of funding sources, and levels of jurisdiction. The paper then describes how three different decision mechanisms have been used in past research and practice for project selection and scheduling (historical practices, expert opinion, and explicit mathematical optimization) and identifies the pros and cons of each mechanism. The paper then focuses on the optimization mechanism and presents the types of optimization problems, formulations, and objectives that have been used in the literature. Next, the paper examines various solution algorithms and discusses issues related to their implementation. Finally, the paper identifies some barriers to implementing multi-objective optimization in selecting and scheduling highway pavement rehabilitation and maintenance activities, and makes recommendations to overcome some of these barriers.