DEVELOPING AN ELECTRONIC DATA BASE FOR PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Transportation networks are considered as the main artery of economic growth for every country, and constitute one class of major civil infrastructure systems that is a critical backbone of modern society [1]. Pavement maintenance is necessary for highway infrastructure efficiency and driver safety. However, systematic maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) works are extremely costly. Additionally, the funds allocated for pavement maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) are often given lesser priority compared to other national development plans; therefore, available funds must be wisely allocated. In recent years, the major challenge that have faced most of highways management agencies in Iraq is how to preserve the roads networks at an acceptable level of serviceability because of the limitations in the allocated budget for pavement maintenance works, the external interferences in the process of decision making, and absence of the effective decision making tools. This research presents developing an electronic data base (EDB) named RMPI Program (Road Maintenance Priority Index Program) in order to help the decision makers in making effective decisions for the selection of roads that should be maintained firstly according to the allocated budget. If this software is strictly applied, the decision makers will be able to overcome the challenge of external interferences and to raise the performance level of roads network by selecting the roads which need maintenance with the highest priority index.