Performance estimation of flexible pavements by thermal area method

Highways are the most used mode of transportation around the world. Flexible pavements are planned to serve in a certain time period. Road pavements, which are constantly exposed to atmospheric conditions and mechanical loads, are exposed to different types of deterioration before completing the project life. Pavements that deteriorate before completing their service life not only endanger traffic safety, but also cause very high economic losses. The service level of the pavement is monitored with performance models such as Present Serviceability Index (PSI), Pavement Condition Index (PCI), International Roughness Index (IRI), which have been created as a Pavement Management System for a long time to determine the pavement performance, and it is aimed to make the right interventions at the right time. The collection of data needed for these models is one of the most important parameters. In this study, considering the temperature difference on the pavement, it was taken into account that the severity of the cracks formed and the thermal fields that will occur in the granular material due to water infiltration will support the formation of the performance index. The pavement section, which is the subject of the study, was created by using image processing techniques to assess the performance of alligator cracks that occur on the roads planned as flexible pavement in Afyon Kocatepe University ANS Campus. The temperature difference created by the water under the layer of the pavement on the surface is taken into account, with a motivation based on the fact that the most important factor in triggering deterioration is insufficient drainage, the water leaking under the flexible pavement through cracks poses a danger in terms of freezing-thawing, and it causes larger cracks and even potholes by breaking the pavement. taken. At the same time, a performance index was developed considering the area covered by the crack. At the end of the study, a model was created that can be used in the evaluation of pavement performance in the light of the data obtained by image processing techniques from the images collected. It is seen that this created model allows a rapid performance evaluation.