Paved roads are rated using the Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating System (PASER).
Roads are rated on a 1 to 10 scale, and the information is entered into RoadSoft, the asset inventory software program supported by the Center for Technology and Training at Michigan Technological University.
This inventory allows OCRC to not only monitor the changing conditions of a particular road, but also gauge the performance of surface treatments and other improvements. This helps the organization to schedule appropriate road improvements, which generally fall within one of three categories: Routine Maintenance, Preventative Maintenance, and Structural Improvements.
Routine Maintenance: Roads with PASER rating of 8-10 (see above table), involves day-to-day protective activities that are regularly scheduled, such as street-sweeping, drainage clearing, shoulder gravel grading, and sealing cracks to prevent standing water and water penetration.
Preventative Maintenance: Roads with PASER rating of 4-7, are planned cost-effective treatments to an existing roadway system that preserves pavement, delays future deterioration, and maintains or improves the functional condition of the system without significantly increasing its structural capacity. Treatments include: seal coat surfacing (chip seal), cape seal surfacing, & resurfacing.
Structural Improvements: Roads with PASER rating of 1- 4, include work identified as resurfacing, rehabilitation, and reconstruction, all of which address the structural integrity of a road.
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