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International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology xxx (2018) xxx–xxx
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Pavement condition assessment using soft computing techniques

Ajit Pratap Singh ⇑, Antriksh Sharma, Raunak Mishra, Makrand Wagle, A.K. Sarkar
Civil Engineering Department, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, 333031, India

Received 14 June 2017; received in revised form 9 November 2017; accepted 19 December 2017

Abstract

Roads are the lifeline of a nation which provides a reliable and easy access to different areas across the country. Once the roads are
constructed, their condition goes on deteriorating with time. Therefore, implementing periodic pavement maintenance is equally impor-
tant as that of construction for the satisfactory performance throughout their design life. This study develops an approach for pavement
condition assessment and their prioritization which can be dealt with a variety of performance indicators for evaluating different aspects
of pavement performance. Pavement stretches with low ratings will have a high probability to be scheduled for maintenance and reha-
bilitation, depending on the availability of funds and the importance of roads.
This paper presents two approaches of fuzzy mathematical analysis to conceive strategic planning for maintenance and rehabilitation
of pavements. The pavement deterioration condition has been marked by four performance indicators: (a) International Roughness
Index (IRI) (b) Surface Modulus (Eo) (c) Rut depth (R) and (d) Friction Coefficient (f). A methodology has been framed to assess con-
dition of Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) all weather roads located in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, India. These
stretches have been prioritized on the basis of their performance parameters using two soft computing techniques: (a) Fuzzy Analytical
Hierarchy Process (FAHP) and (b) Fuzzy Weighted Average (FWA) method.
The results clearly demonstrate that FAHP being more scientific approach can be considered as a base model for assessing the pave-
ment condition, however to have sound decisions, results so obtained are compared effectively from FWA method.
Ó 2017 Chinese Society of Pavement Engineering. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND
license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Keywords: Pavement condition assessment; Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP); Fuzzy Weighted Average (FWA) method; PMGSY roads;
Pavement maintenance, rehabilitation and management

1. Introduction
Accessibility in rural areas plays an important role in
poverty eradication and overall socio-economic develop-
ment. Thus, the need for road connectivity has been con-
sidered vital in the developing countries having vast rural
population. In India, traditionally the construction of rural
roads has been the responsibility of the provincial govern-
ments and thus the progress of construction of quality
⇑ Corresponding author. Fax: +91 01596 244183.
E-mail address: aps@pilani.bits-pilani.ac.in (A.P. Singh).
Peer review under responsibility of Chinese Society of Pavement
Engineering.
roads was rather slow and the existing roads were also
not being maintained in the absence of adequate funding.
Thus, in year 2000, the Government of India (GoI)
launched a nationwide fully centrally sponsored rural road
development scheme, popularly known as Pradhan Mantri
Gramin Sadak Yojna (PMGSY). The main objective of
this scheme was to provide connectivity through all-
weather roads to rural areas so that overall development
can be ensured at local, regional and national levels. The
PMGSY scheme was designed so as to ensure that a new
road constructed would be maintained by the contractor
for the first five years. Most of the rural roads constructed
during the first few years after the inception of the project
are quite old now and in the absence of proper mainte-

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijprt.2017.12.006
1996-6814/Ó 2017 Chinese Society of Pavement Engineering. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Please cite this article in press as: A.P. Singh et al., Pavement condition assessment using soft computing techniques, Int. J. Pavement Res. Technol.
(2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijprt.2017.12.006
2 A.P. Singh et al. / International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology xxx (2018) xxx–xxx
nance are showing distresses of various magnitudes. The
Government of India has stressed the need of maintenance
and rehabilitation of rural pavements in the 12th five-year
plan. Thus, there is a need to develop a pavement mainte-
nance management system for PMGSY roads that could be
used as a tool for allocation of funds at the local govern-
ment level. The present paper discusses about a case study
carried out in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan state in
India with an aim of prioritizing a few selected PMGSY
roads on the basis of their current conditions based on
extent and severity of visible distresses. The major chal-
lenge in pavement maintenance work is the allocation of
sufficient funds for these pavements on the basis of their
factual conditions at appropriate time by the government
[1]. The most practical and economical approach for the
maintenance of rural roads is to collect pavement condi-
tions by visual inspection survey. Various distresses are
recorded in terms of extent and severity and then prioritize
the stretches depending on the overall condition. While
standard templates are available for rating different dis-
tresses, still there are possibilities of variation in human
judgements. The objective of this paper is to illustrate
how the fuzzy approach could be effectively used to miti-
gate these variations and develop a tool that would priori-
tize the road stretches on the basis of overall conditions
and then help to take optimal funding allocation decisions.
The pavement characteristics in this case study have been
quantified, by physical means, rather than by having simple
qualitative assessments and utmost care has been taken to
obtain precise data. Once the requisite data are collected,
they have been analysed using fuzzy approaches i.e. FAHP
and FWA method.
The road users are mainly concerned in the functional
performance of the pavement, which is expressed by rough-
ness and surface friction. The implementing agencies on the
other hand are focused on structural performance and dis-
tress on the pavement surface. In Pavement Condition
Assessment (PCA) the main steps involved are to evaluate
the current pavement condition in terms of distresses,
determine the rates of deterioration and project the future
conditions. The various indicators to define the current
condition of the pavement are determined on the basis of
structural, functional, safety performances. The structural
performance is measured mainly by non-destructive tests
such as Benkelman Beam deflection measurement or falling
weight and Light Weight deflectometers. The functional
performance is measured using Bump Integrator which is
then represented by International Roughness Index (IRI).
It can also be determined by manual inspection survey by
observing the severity and extent of distresses such as
cracking, rutting, potholes, shoving, ravelling, bleeding,
edge cracking and other visible distresses. The safety per-
formance is measured in terms of surface resistance and
skid resistance equipment is usually used to measure it.
However, all these pavement evaluation techniques may
not be used in each study as it depends on the scope of
the work, availability of time and resources [2].
Please cite this article in press as: A.P. Singh et al., Pavement condition assessment using soft computing techniques, Int. J. Pavement Res. Technol.
(2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijprt.2017.12.006
The main objectives of this paper are: (a) to identify the
pavement distresses that are most prominent on the roads
considered in this case study; and (b) to prioritize pavement
stretches for maintenance on the basis of pavement condi-
tion so that a maintenance programme could be designed
within the budgetary constraints.
2. Literature review
Physical isolation is one of the most important factors
which hinders the growth of rural areas. The main aim of
government behind constructing the rural roads is to pro-
vide physical accessibility to basic needs [3]. However,
many a time the inadequate maintenance of roads makes
them unusable for the users. The pavements fail over a per-
iod of time and thus timely maintenance would extend their
lives with acceptable level of service.
A number of studies have been carried out by different
researchers to assess the pavement condition on the basis
of their performance criteria. Although, quantification of
pavement conditions is a difficult task but a number of
mathematical models have been available to assess and
analyse pavement conditions. The performance indicators
in assessing pavement condition are often subjective and
hence fuzzy theory could be used to quantify subjectivity
and model the ambiguity involved in the system [4]. A few
studies show that fuzzy approach proves to be one of the
best mathematical tools in assessing the pavement condition
and helping the decision makers in taking decisions regard-
ing different maintenance and rehabilitation works to be
carried out. Sun et al. [5] have proposed the use of fuzzy
logic theory and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to
assess the pavement condition and prioritize projects of
highway maintenance. A case study was done to rank eight
road segments of highway using Maximum graded principle
(MGP) and a defuzzified weighted cumulative index
(DWCI). They concluded that in prioritizing projects of
road maintenance, the road segments receiving higher eval-
uation score will be ranked higher than other road segments
receiving lower evaluation [5]. Arliansyah et al. [6] have
described how the fuzzy set theory approach can be used
to assess the pavement condition under different situations
analysing the data obtained from Horkiru region of pave-
ment management support system. Using fuzzy weighted
average operation, it has been shown in their study that
pavement condition assessment results change significantly
with the inclusion, omission, weight changes of pavement
parameters [6]. A number of approaches have also been for-
mulated to perform comprehensive analysis. Some of them
are based on the concepts of fuzzy arithmetic as suggested
by Ross [7], fuzzy rule-based modelling or fuzzy ranking
applied by Phogat et al. and Singh et al. [8,9]. Buckley
[10] proposed a technique of analysis of hierarchical struc-
tures under fuzzy environment after performing pair-wise
comparisons of opinions of various decision makers [10].
A number of multi-criteria decision making problems are
also being solved by applying fuzzy analytical hierarchy
 A.P. Singh et al. / International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology xxx (2018) xxx–xxx
process (Boender et al. [11]; Chang, 1996). Boender et al.
[11] presented a modified version of the fuzzy multi-
criteria method by calculating the weights of the decision
criteria through minimization techniques of a logarithmic
regression function [11]. There are several approaches to
solve a FAHP model. Each of them has some unique
characteristics. Phogat et al. (2013) have applied five
multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) techniques to
select suitable equipment’s for road construction under six
different criteria including environment impact considera-
tions. These five MCDM techniques viz., Analytical Hierar-
chy Process (AHP), Simple Additive Weights Method
(SAW), Distance Based Method (DBM), Preference Rank-
ing Organization Method (PROMETHEE) and Elimina-
tion et Choice Translating Reality (ELECTRE) methods
are proved as potential decision-aid tools to select the
appropriate management scheme [8].
Soft computing solutions are unpredictable, uncertain
and can be expressed in the form of membership function
ranging between 0 and 1. Soft Computing became a formal
area of study in Computer Science in the early 1990s [7].
Soft computing techniques have also been used effectively
when pavement condition indices are based on a variety
of parameters with different characteristics. In such cases,
these techniques have been primarily used to estimate func-
tions from samples without requiring a mathematical for-
mulation of the dependence of output on input values.
Fwa and Shanmugam (1998) have demonstrated an appli-
cation of fuzzy systems for assessing pavement condition
rating and maintenance needs [12]. Back propagation neu-
ral networks have also been used to combine different indi-
cators representing status of pavement conditions into a
condition index or pavement rating assignment by some
of the researchers [13,14]. Moreover, since the last decade,
Analytic Hierarchy process (AHP) and FAHP are gaining
popularity amongst the transportation and civil engineers.
Some of the recent studies are really worth appreciating.
Singh et al. (2012) have done an optimal selection of a land-
fill disposal site using a modified fuzzy utility approach [15].
The applications of fuzzy logic based concepts have also
been applied by Juang et al., Kanuganti et al., and Singh
et al. [16–18]. Ahmed et al. (2017) proposed an objective
based AHP method wherein pairwise comparison values
are assigned based on the collected field data from a road
network in Mumbai city, consisting of 28 road sections.
They demonstrated the evaluated results of priority ratings
of objective based AHP method and compared them with
the results of subjective based Road Condition Index
(RCI) method for the validation purpose [19]. Thus, there
is a tremendous potential to apply fuzzy approach in the
field of pavement condition assessment and management.
In PCA, the main job is to evaluate the current pave-
ment condition, determining the rates of deterioration
and projecting the future conditions. Many factors in
PCA are subjectively determined i.e. based on or influenced
by personal feelings or opinions. In decision making pro-
cesses, uncertainty, imprecision, and subjectivity can be
Please cite this article in press as: A.P. Singh et al., Pavement condition assessment using soft computing techniques, Int. J. Pavement Res. Technol.
(2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijprt.2017.12.006
3
handled by means of probability theory or fuzzy set theory
[4–5,15,18]. It is therefore important to use appropriate
techniques to quantify subjective information. With the
implementation of PMGSY scheme in a decade, almost
all villages throughout the India are connected by asphalt
pavements to nearby cities or town [3]. In order to sustain
the benefits of the investments made in improving village
roads, transport infrastructure is needed to be maintained
over time, and hence there is a need to provide adequate
maintenance. Further the PCA also plays critical role in
deciding upgradation of existing rural roads particularly
that provide connectivity to rural growth centres and other
critical rural business hubs. In the past, most of the earlier
studies were focused on pavement condition assessment
and prioritization of stretches of highways [4–5,19] and
limited studies have been carried out focusing prioritization
of rural village roads. Most of the rural roads constructed
in India have not received proper attention with regard to
maintenance action plans, primarily because of less avail-
ability of funds. As a result, sustainability of assets has
not been fortified. To avoid making a bad situation worse,
government has also stressed upon the maintenance and
rehabilitation (M&R) of rural pavement in its 12th five-
year plan. In light of above, in this study, the fuzzy
approach allowing experts working on rural roads to use
linguistic variables is considered for prioritization by
applying and comparing the results from fuzzy AHP and
fuzzy weighted average method.
The main objective of this paper is twofold: (a) it
attempts to identify the important indicators of pavement
condition assessment for rural roads under Indian condi-
tions and (b) it finally prioritizes pavement stretches for
the maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) purposes tak-
ing selected parameters into consideration. The first section
of this study deals with the introduction and objectives of
the study whereas subsequent sections of literature review,
methodology accepted, analysis of data and finally a case
study has been taken to prioritize the pavement stretches
of rural roads using FAHP and FWA methods. The last
part of the paper discusses results, conclusion and limita-
tion of the study.
3. Methodology
In this paper, a methodology has been proposed based
on a case study to assess the condition of rural road pave-
ments using soft computing techniques. These techniques
aim to study the tolerance for uncertainty, approximation,
imprecision involved in data collection and their extraction
and come up with solutions to real world problem, which
are difficult to model under uncertain environment. The
study followed a three-step trade-off process as shown in
Fig. 1.

Step 1, deals with the selection and identification of
pavement stretches wherein a case study has been car-
ried out on the five PMGSY roads selected in Jhunjhunu
4 A.P. Singh et al. / International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology xxx (2018) xxx–xxx
Step 1: Selection and
Identification of pavement
Stretches
Fig. 1. Steps involved in prioritizing the pavement stretches.
district of Rajasthan, India. As the focus of the present
study is the assessment of pavement condition and pri-
oritization the pavement stretches of low volume rural
roads, the roads constructed under PMGSY scheme
were taken as the study stretches from available core
network map. The core network consists of the entire
rural road network required for providing the basic
access to all villages/habitations. The roads in Jhun-
jhunu district from core network are selected such that
these roads were constructed almost four to five years
back and no maintenance measures have been taken till
date. To have better insight each of these five PMGSY
roads was divided into stretches of 100 m section each.

In step 2, continuous field investigations were carried
out during January 2014 to April 2014 for the collection
of data on the selected stretches. The data pertaining to
structural performance, functional performance, safety
performance and distress survey were collected and
finally four important performance indicators were
arrived at to assess pavement conditions. They are Inter-
national Roughness Index (IRI), surface modulus (Eo),
rut depth (R) and friction coefficient (f).

In step 3, two soft computing techniques were used for
prioritizing the pavement stretches for maintenance
and rehabilitation (M&R) so that proper disbursement
of funds available for these activities could be utilized
efficiently.
A general framework for pavement condition assess-
ment system is presented in Fig. 2. This framework builds
upon the scheme presented in Fig. 1 and consists of mod-
ules that can be used for overall condition assessment of
the pavements.
3.1. Data collection and extraction
Data were collected from January 2014 to April 2014 so
as to avoid extreme cold or hot weather conditions and
also to avoid wet base conditions. The equipments used
in the present study are bump integrator for the roughness
data (IRI), Light Weight Deflectometer (LWD) for surface
modulus (Eo), skid resistor apparatus for friction coeffi-
cient (f) and rut depth (R) is measured using 1.2 m long
straight scale.
In this study, five rural roads have been considered
keeping in mind the site selection criteria described in the
flowchart shown in Fig. 2. These roads are further divided
into stretches of 100 m. The details of all the five stretches
taken in this case study have been presented in Table 1.
Please cite this article in press as: A.P. Singh et al., Pavement condition assessment using soft computing techniques, Int. J. Pavement Res. Technol.
(2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijprt.2017.12.006
Step 2: Field Step 3: Prioritization of
Investigation with the pavement stretches
Detailed Survey using FAHP and FWA
3.1.1. Data extraction
3.1.1.1. IRI data. Roughness data are collected using towed
fifth wheel bump integrator running at a speed of 32 km/hr
on selected stretches. Usually, roughness/unevenness index
obtained from bump integrator is in mm/km. The towed
fifth wheel bump integrator model V used in this study
has the inbuilt facility to convert the roughness into stan-
dard measurement of mm/km irrespective of distance mea-
sured. However, it requires calibration using Machine for
Evaluating Roughness using Low Cost Instrumentation
(MERLIN) prior to the collection of roughness data [20–
21].
Universally, the roughness data are expressed in terms
of IRI and expressed as m/km. Thus, the value obtained
using bump integrator (i.e. BI) is converted into IRI values
using Eq. (1) before analysing the pavement condition. The
same equation was used by the previous studies of one of
the authors [20–21].
0:89
IRI ¼ 0:0032  ðBIÞ ð1Þ
All the IRI data corresponding to each site of five
stretches are given in Table 1.
3.1.1.2. Surface modulus data. The light weight deflectome-
ter (LWD) is a non-destructive testing (NDT) device used
for pavement evaluation to determine the strength and stiff-
ness of pavement material by measuring the material’s
response under the impact of a load with a known magni-
tude and dropped from a known height [22]. The relevant
code used for LWD is ASTM E2583 – 07(2011). The
LWD used in this case study is the Dynatest 3031 available
from Dynatest International as shown in Fig. 4(a).
Light weight deflectometer (LWD) gained popularity as
portable and cost effective tool for the determination of in-
situ responses like deflections and surface modulus.
Although Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) is widely
used in determining surface modulus, due to financial con-
straints, FWD may not be economical to use on rural vil-
lage roads; given the rural roads network length very
high. Furthermore, the upper layer of these roads is rela-
tively thin (20 mm bituminous surface) and thus can obtain
reliable results due to LWD lower load level as compared
to FWD. Although LWD induces a smaller impact load
and shorter load pulse duration in comparison with the
FWD, due to its lighter drop mass, this may be suitable
for the low volume roads. Since these roads generally do
not carry traffic of heavy commercial vehicles (Multiaxle
trucks loading e.g. tridem axle), the dynamic load of
LWD could be used to produce load impulse that simulates
 A.P. Singh et al. / International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology xxx (2018) xxx–xxx
Fig. 2. Pavement condition assessment: Methodological framework.
the real-world traffic on rural roads. Hence in view of
LWD is smaller, cheaper and easier to operate than the
FWD, LWD is used in the present study. Many researchers
have also found that the LWD is a reliable and repeatable
test that can be successfully used for quality control and
quality assurance of the projects even on a day to day basis
[23–25].
In order to determine the surface modulus of pave-
ment on the selected stretches, a desired drop weight of
10 kg was dropped down through a guide shaft on to a
stack of buffer pads at random locations on every 100
m road stretch. The pavement deflection responses were
measured by geophones placed at certain distance and
transmitted to a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) using
Bluetooth technology. Then the LWDmod program was
used for the analysis of test data. From the known deflec-
tion basin, the back-calculation analysis was done to
obtain the surface modulus from using LWDmod soft-
ware. The back-calculation analysis provides surface
modulus and an approximated composite modulus of
the pavement structure at the test locations [26]. The
LWDmod software is based on the algorithm of back cal-
culation scheme in which computed surface deflections
are compared with the measured deflections, to deduce
the most appropriate moduli for pavement structure.
The process was initiated by assuming seed values for
elastic moduli of the pavement layers, Poisson’s ratio
taken as 0.5 and comparing the resulting deflections
obtained from forward calculation model with the mea-
sured ones. The iteration goes on until the difference
between two deflection profiles is within a given tolerance
Please cite this article in press as: A.P. Singh et al., Pavement condition assessment using soft computing techniques, Int. J. Pavement Res. Technol.
(2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijprt.2017.12.006
5
of LWDmod software. Fig. 3 depicts a back-calculation
algorithm on which LWDmod software is based [27].
One should be careful to deal different layers of the pave-
ment while applying back calculation of sur modulus lay-
ers using the results of LWD because the testing results
of LWD generally provides the results of the entire pave-
ment layers and not individual layer. Thus, the details
given in DPRs of the construction of these roads can pro-
vide the desired information of different layers. The thick-
nesses of the layers have been referred from the Detailed
Project Report (DPRs) of the selected roads on the basis
of prescribed design standard as specified by the Indian
Road Congress (IRC). The crust thickness of these roads
was of order 275–300 mm with a thin bituminous top of
20 mm premix carpet with the seal coat. The Surface
Modulus data of pavement for all the five roads corre-
spond to each 100 m stretch is presented in (Table 1).
It may be noted that measurements with Light weight
deflectometer (LWD) depend upon the type of buffer used
as well as the drop height of the charge (contact pres-
sure). Soft buffers when used generate high pulse time
which in turn gives higher surface modulus value,
whereas hard buffer generates little pulse time, due to
high contact pressure and gives lower surface modulus
value. From Table 1, it can be inferred that the surface
modulus values vary between 100 and 225 (MPa). It is
also observed that for all the stretches of Jherli to
Gujaro ki Dhani (Chainage 0/0 to 1/800) the value of
surface modulus varies between 168 and 225 (MPa),
which is high and represents compaction condition of
the road.
 6
(2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijprt.2017.12.006
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A.P. Singh et al. / International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology xxx (2018) xxx–xxx
Table 1
Field data of the study stretches.
Stretch Performance indicator 0–100 m 100–200 m 200–300 m 300–400 m 400–500 m 500–600 m 600–700 m 700–800 m
Road
Peepli to Ladunda (Chainage 0/100 to 1/100) IRI (m/km) 4.31 3.53 3.56 3.99 3.29 3.35 3.82 3.45
Surface Modulus (Eo) (in MPa) 168.0 154.5 153.5 140.0 150.0 135.0 155.0 136.0
Rut Depth (mm) RUL* 0 0 6 0 0 0 3 0
RUM* 0 7 0 0 0 0 9 0
Surface Friction (f) 0.45 0.38 0.43 0.41 0.40 0.43 0.46 0.4
Khudania (Chainage 0/100 to 1/100) IRI (m/km) 4.78 4.19 3.5 3.83 4.35 4.21 5.2 4.64
Surface Modulus (Eo) (in MPa) 170 200 220 177 176 189 200 206
Rut Depth (mm) RUL 4 0 4 3 0 6 4 0
RUM 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0
Surface Friction (f) 0.36 0.33 0.39 0.42 0.50 0.41 0.43 0.40
Tripali to Noolund (Chainage 0/500 to 1/350) IRI (m/km) 4.25 5.85 7.24 7.73 6.75 7.92 5.34 7.21
Surface Modulus (Eo) (in MPa) 165 117 110 108 112 110 109 117
Rut Depth (mm) RUL 0 6 0 4 0 5 0 0
RUM 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 12
Surface Friction (f) 0.40 0.34 0.36 0.32 0.38 0.40 0.30 0.39
Jherli to Gujaro ki Dhani (Chainage 0/0 to 1/800) IRI (m/km) 4.0 4.30 3.84 3.87 3.91 3.73 4.49 4.58
Surface Modulus (Eo) (in MPa) 169 166 200 182.5 175 220 223.5 200
Rut Depth (mm) RUL 0 0 0 0 5 0 4 0
RUM 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0
Surface Friction (f) 0.32 0.38 0.4 0.32 0.33 0.35 0.4 0.36
Ghardu to Ramanathpura (Chainage 0/100 to 1/100) IRI (m/km) 4.48 4.67 5.2 6.3 5.12 6.55 7.62 6.84
Surface Modulus (Eo) (in MPa) 100 108.5 104 98 102 104.6 97.6 103
Rut Depth (mm) RUL 0 0 4 0 0 0 5 0
RUM 0 0 8 9 0 10 0 7
Surface Friction (f) 0.47 0.38 0.34 0.42 0.35 0.50 0.44 0.44
*
RUL Rutting Low, RUM Rutting Medium.
 A.P. Singh et al. / International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology xxx (2018) xxx–xxx 7

Measured Deflection Error Check

Basin (Calculated moduli)

Seed Moduli

Thickness Forward Calculation

Actual Eo
model Yes
Is error obtained
acceptable
Poisson’s ratio,
tyre pressure,
load
Adjust No
moduli
values

Fig. 3. Back calculation algorithm of LWDmod software [25].

(a) LWD-DYNATEST 3031 (b) Wessex-Skid Resistor

Fig. 4. (a) LWD-DYNATEST 3031 and (b) Wessex-Skid Resistor.

3.1.1.3. Rutting data. Rutting is the accumulation of per-
manent deformation along the maximum travelled wheel
path. In the present study, the rut depth was measured in
the field by placing 1.2 m long straight scale along the
wheel path and measuring its depth by inserting a scale
at every 10 m section. The measured data were then aver-
aged out over a required section of 100 m. At some
stretches of pavement no rutting was seen during data col-
lection. The extent of rutting depends on the traffic repeti-
tions, densification achieved during construction, and so
on. It has been classified into further three sub-levels based
on severity level:

Rutting low (RUL): Barely noticeable, depth less than 6
mm.

Rutting medium (RUM): Readily noticeable, depth
more than 6 mm but less than 25 mm.

Rutting high (RUH): Definite effect on vehicle control,
depth greater than 25 mm.
The Rut depth data corresponding to each stretch have
been presented in Table 1.
3.1.1.4. Skid friction data. The skid resistance is the retard-
ing force generated due to interaction between pavement
and locked tyre when the vehicle is moving. Such informa-
tion is required for providing high riding quality to the
commuters. Skid resistance varies depending on a number
of factors such as aggregate quality, binder and surface
drainage [28–29].
In this case study portable skid tester, known as
Cooper–Wessex skid resistor tester CRT-PENDULUM is
used which is shown in Fig. 4(b). The Cooper-Wessex Pen-
dulum Skid Resistance Tester is the high quality skid resis-
tance testing equipment in which BS EN 10978:2000 is used
as the testing code.
The CRT-PENDULUM measures the frictional resis-
tance between a rubber slider mounted on the end of a pen-
dulum arm and the test surface. It is based on Izod
principle in which pendulum rotates about a spindle
attached to a vertical pillar. At the end of the tubular
arm, a head of known mass is fitted with a rubber slider.
The pendulum is released from a horizontal position so
that it strikes the sample surface with a constant velocity.
The distance travelled by the head after striking the sample

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8 A.P. Singh et al. / International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology xxx (2018) xxx–xxx

is determined by the friction of the sample surface. A read- dure of the proposed methodology is explained in subse-
ing of skid resistance is obtained from the British Pendu- quent paragraphs.
lum Number (BPN) read from the drag pointer using Eq. The initial step in the development of the model is the
(2). generation of importance weight of each criterion. The
contribution of each indicator differs from each other,
Skid Number ¼ 100  Coefficient of friction ð2Þ
which is reflected through a weight coefficient. The determi-
Wessex skid resistor apparatus is used at every 50-m sec- nation of weight coefficient corresponding to each perfor-
tion in longitudinal direction along the wheel path. At each mance indicator relies on the tradeoffs amongst
location point, five values were taken and finally these are performance indicators which are derived from pair wise
averaged over a stretch of 100 m. The friction coefficient comparison matrix A ¼ ðaij Þmm in which m represents
data corresponding to all study stretches are presented in number of performance indicators and the entry ‘aij’ corre-
Table 1. spond to the ratio of relative importance of ‘ith’ perfor-
mance indicator to ‘jth’ performance indicator. The
comparison matrix is derived using Saaty’s 9-point scale
3.2. Methodological framework for prioritizing pavement as given in Eq. (3). The linguistic descriptions of 9-point
scales are explained in Table 2.
3.2.1. Development of fuzzy AHP (FAHP) approach
2 w1 3 2 3
The proposed methodology explores the concept of both w1
w1
w2
... w1
wm a11 a12  a1m
6 7 6
a2m 7
AHP and fuzzy logic theory in the field of pavement prior- 6
w2 w2
 w2
7 6 a21
6 w1 w2 wm
7 6 a22  7
.. 7
itization for maintenance purposes. AHP is a technique for A¼6 . ¼6 . ð3Þ
6 .. .. .. .. 7 . .. .. 7
organizing and analysing the complex decisions and com- 4 . . . 7
5 4 . . . . 5
ing up with the solution that best suit the needs of the deci- wm
w1
wm
w2
 wm
wm
am1 am2  amm
sion makers [30–32]. In conventional AHP approach,
fuzziness and vagueness involved in decision making prob-
lems are not taken into consideration. However, FAHP In order to form a matrix, a questionnaire has been pre-
methodology offers an optimistic approach to reliability pared to perform pairwise judgment between the criteria.
and accuracy issues in the data collection of pavement con- Each performance indicator is compared against each
dition [1,5]. The hierarchical architecture for PCA in which other, determining their relative importance on a scale of
the pavement conditions of different road stretches (alter- 1–9. Saaty’s scale as specified in Table 2 has been used as
natives) is evaluated under different parameters (criteria). the guiding factor to assess pairwise comparison of differ-
These criteria refer to a defining characteristic of pavement ent criteria. The importance weight in this study was
based on which sound decisions can be taken. In this study obtained by having an open discussion with 10 experts
four important pavement performance parameters are cho- working in this field and keeping in mind the local condi-
sen and defined as U = {IRI, surface modulus, rut depth, tions such that the resultant matrix is applicable to
friction coefficient} as shown in Fig. 5 in order to prioritize PMGSY roads in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, India
stretches using fuzzy techniques. The step by step proce- during January 2014 to April 2014. As the survey data

GOAL:
PCA of each road segment

CRITERION 1: CRITERION 2: CRITERION 3: CRITERION 4:

Roughness (IRI) Rut depth(R) Surface Modulus (Eo) Friction coefficient (f)

ROAD 1 ROAD 2 ROAD 3 ROAD k

Segment (1, 2, ..., k)

Fig. 5. Hierarchal architecture of Criteria and Alternatives.

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Table 2
Saaty’s scale for pair wise comparison of Criteria.
Saaty’s scale The relative importance of two sub elements
1 Equally important
3 Moderately important with one over the other
5 Strongly important
7 Very strongly important
9 Extremely important
2,4,6,8 Intermediate important
are converted to fuzzy scale the uncertainty and ambigu-
ousness in the data are overcome and the ratings given
by these experts converge to a single integrated value.
Once the matrix A is built, the second step is to normal-
ize the pair wise comparison matrix ‘A’ by making the sum
of entries in each column equal to 1, i.e. each entry aij of
the normalized matrix ‘Anorm’ is computed as:
aij
aij ¼ Pm
 ð4Þ
i¼1 aij
In the next step the criteria weight vector ‘w’ (that is m-
dimensional column vector) is obtained by averaging the
entries on each row of ‘Anorm’ i.e.
Pm

aij
wj ¼ i¼1 ð5Þ
m
Once the weight vector W = (w1, w2,. . .,wm) is derived
from the paired comparison matrix thereafter, Eigen value
is obtained from the eigenvector algorithm originally pro-
posed by Saaty as given by Eq. (6):
AW ¼ kmax W ð6Þ
where, ‘kmax’ represents maximal Eigen value and ‘W’ rep-
resents corresponding Eigen vector. Since the importance
weight of each attribute is based purely on the perception
of decision maker so there is a need to check the consis-
tency of matrix. The percentage of inconsistency comes
within acceptable limit of 10% then calculated Eigen values
represent the weight coefficient of corresponding perfor-
mance indicators.
The fourth step is an important component to apply this
methodology wherein membership functions are derived to
evaluate the importance of each criterion so that selected
pavement stretches can be rated with respect to various
specified performance indicators. These membership func-
tions are derived on the basis of knowledge gained from lit-
erature [2,5–6,20] and perception of decision makers by
transforming crisp values into five linguistic (fuzzy) vari-
ables, viz. V = {Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor, Very Poor}.
Review of the present data indicated that the triangular
and trapezoidal fuzzy membership functions are the most
suitable for representing the ratings of every performance
indicator in the criterion set U = {IRI, Surface modulus,
Rut depth, Friction coefficient}. The membership functions
corresponding to each criterion are shown in Figs. 7–10.
The next step is the formulation of fuzzy evaluation set,
in which grades of membership functions corresponding to
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9
each performance indicator are computed by substituting
respective inspection result into corresponding membership
functions as shown in Figs. 7–10. These membership func-
tions express belongingness of qualitative statement for the
evaluation of any criterion with respect to a given grade/
class with the membership values varying between 0 and
1. There exist various types of membership functions, viz.
triangular, trapezoidal, Gaussian, etc. Use of a particular
membership function depends upon actual application
(i.e. range of input and output parameters), classification
of different grades of evaluation and its impact on chosen
criteria as well as on opinion of the experts. For example,
in case where system needs dynamic variations for shorter
range, triangular or trapezoidal membership functions are
being used.
The fuzzy evaluation set V = {v1, v2, v3,. . .,vn} corre-
sponding to each performance indicator so obtained is nor-
malized by considering the above methodology. Let U =
{u1, u2, u3,. . ., um} be a criterion set composed of ‘m’ crite-
ria and V = {v1, v2, v3,. . .,vn} be an evaluation set com-
posed of ‘n’ remarks. The fuzzy relation matrix,
R ¼ ðrij Þmn can be expressed by deriving membership
grade for each criterion with respect to a given evaluation
class. Thus, any entry (i.e. rij) of fuzzy relation matrix
can be expressed as rij ¼ lR ðui ; vj Þ where, i ¼ 1; 2; . . . ; m
and j ¼ 1; 2; . . . ; n [5,30]. As different criteria have different
influences on the overall condition assessment of a road
segment, a weight vector W = (w1, w2,. . ., wm) represents
a fuzzy subset on U obtained from paired comparison
matrix. The fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method
assigns five membership function to fuzzy evaluation set
V such that Y 2 f ðV Þ, using the Eq. (7):
Y ¼W R ð7Þ
where  represents mapping operator from R to Y, and R
represents normalized fuzzy set. The following mapping
operator is used to evaluate fuzzy weighted average that
takes all intermediate criteria into account as defined by
Sun et al. [5]:
!
  Xm
lY yj ¼ min 1; wi rij ð8Þ
i¼1
After evaluating the final fuzzy set of each stretch as
mentioned above, the last step is to transform these sets
into crisp output through a defuzzification process. In this
study, two different defuzzification approaches are used: (a)
Maximum Graded Principle (MGP) and (b) Fuzzy Pave-
ment Condition Index (FPCI). The Maximum Graded
Principle (MGP) states that grade of membership with
the highest value in Y is assigned as an entry in the evalu-
ation set V for overall evaluation [33]. Though road seg-
ments receiving higher evaluations are ranked higher than
other road segment receiving lower evaluations, it has been
observed that sometimes MGP results into identical lin-
guistic/vague rating while evaluating the pavement
stretches as shown in Table 4 col(3). For disbursing funds,
10 A.P. Singh et al. / International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology xxx (2018) xxx–xxx

Selection and Identification of Stretches considering age of

pavement, its deterioration rate and last M&R works taken

Detailed Field Investigation to have current status of pavement stretches

Ranking of Pavement Stretches based on two Soft

Computing Approaches FAHP and FWA

FAHP FWA

Formulation of pair wise comparison matrix on the Define Linguistic variables associated with the
basis of decision maker’s perception using Saaty’s rating and weights of pavement performance
scale parameters

Compute the importance weight of each criterion Expert’s opinion for deciding the range values of
linguistic rating terms of performance parameters

Formulate fuzzy linguistic variables for defining Normalize linguistic terms between 0 and 1 and find average
membership functions maximum value correspond to each

Derive separate membership functions correspond Construct Membership functions correspond to linguistic
to each criterion terms of rating and weights of performance parameters

Evaluate final fuzzy set correspond to each Formulate final fuzzy set using FWA model
pavement stretch

Defuzzification: Conversion of final fuzzy set into Defuzzification: Conversion of final fuzzy set into
linguistic rating or FPCI value linguistic rating or FPCI value

Define linguistic Calculate FPCI Value assigning Alpha cut distance Calculate FPCI
rating for each stretch quantifier weight correspond to approach for linguistic value on the basis of
using MGP each linguistic variable rating of stretches final fuzzy set

Ranking Pavement Stretches for fund Ranking Pavement Stretches for fund
allocation and M&R works allocation and M&R works

Comparison of ranking from both

approaches and conclusion

Fig. 6. Methodological framework of FAHP and FWA.

it is necessary to make the priority ranking of pavement quantifiable weight vector (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) corresponding to
stretches. Thus, the second approach of evaluating FPCI evaluation set V = {Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor, Very
value is more realistic. FPCI value can be evaluated using Poor} respectively so that these five different linguistic

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 A.P. Singh et al. / International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology xxx (2018) xxx–xxx
Fig. 7. Membership functions of IRI (m/km).
Fig. 8. Membership functions of Surface Modulus (MPa).
Fig. 9. Membership functions of Rut depth (mm).
Fig. 10. Membership functions of Friction Coefficient (f).
assessments can be distinguished, which after normaliza-
tion becomes as (0.333, 0.267, 0.200, 0.133, 0.067). On
the basis of FPCI values, differential ranking can be estab-
lished as shown in Eq. (9):
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11
 
FPCI ¼ ð0:333 0:267 0:200 0:133 0:067Þ  lY y j
ð9Þ
Once, FPCI value is calculated for each stretch, the
lower evaluative segment needs to be assigned first priority
for maintenance work. All steps of complete methodology
of FAHP approach have been shown in Fig. 6.
3.2.1.1. Illustration of FAHP approach. The pair-wise com-
parison matrix ‘A’ has been deduced after interacting with
the experts working in the field in the form of matrix as:
2 3
1 0:33 2:5 1:5
6 3 1:5 2 7
6 1 7
A¼6 7 ð10Þ
4 0:4 0:66 1 0:5 5
0:66 0:5 2 1
Using methodology explained above, the weight vectors
corresponding to the criterion set U = {IRI, Surface
Modulus, Rutting, Friction coefficient) are
w ¼ 0:243 0:4114 0:143 0:200. Since, this matrix is
based purely on the perception of different decision makers,
its consistency index has been evaluated as 9.8%, which is
found within the acceptable limit. It is to be noted that
the pavement characteristics in this case study have been
quantified, by physical means, rather than by having simple
qualitative assessments. The road users are mainly con-
cerned about the functional performance of the pavement,
which is expressed by roughness and surface friction. The
implementing agencies on the other hand are focused on
structural performance and distress on the pavement sur-
face. The relative rating hence has been obtained by ques-
tionnaire survey amongst the practitioners particularly
working on rural roads. The reason rutting has been given
less importance might be due to the prevailing climatic con-
ditions and limited usage of rural roads by heavy vehicles
leading to subgrade failure. The Jhunjhunu district of
Rajasthan state receives less rainfall (annual rainfall 450–
500 mm). Further the soil quality in this area is generally
good, having higher CBR values ranging from 9 to 12.
Moreover, in general, these rural roads hardly carry traffic
of more than 10–15 commercial vehicles (trucks) per day
having weight more than 3 ton which is considered for
design of pavement thickness that contributes to damage
of subgrade resulting in rutting failure. Given this, specific
to geographical and climatic conditions, the practitioners
might have observed less rutting failure on field, resulting
rutting criteria with less importance weight as compared
to other parameters. This was also observed during data
collection on all five stretches, as it could be observed from
Table 1 wherein rutting high (RUH) more than 25 mm is
not observed at all. Hence rutting has given less importance
weight.
As per the next step graphical shapes of membership
function of each performance indicator obtained from
perception of decision makers are presented in Figs. 7–10.
In the third step, the fuzzy evaluation methodology
has been described in detail by considering stretch 1 i.e.
12 A.P. Singh et al. / International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology xxx (2018) xxx–xxx

Table 3
Performance indicator values and their corresponding fuzzy relation.
Stretch1 Field data Fuzzy set Normalized fuzzy set (R)
IRI 4.31 (0, 1, 0.437, 0, 0) (0, 0.696, 0.304, 0, 0)
Surface Modulus (Eo) 168 (0, 0.267, 0.73, 0, 0) (0, 0.268, 0.732, 0, 0)
Rut Depth (R) 0 (1, 0, 0, 0, 0) (1, 0, 0, 0, 0)
Surface Friction (f) 0.45 (0.2, 0.75, 0.5, 0, 0) (0.138, 0.52, 0.344, 0, 0)

Table 4
Fuzzy relation and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation result corresponding to all eight stretches of road 1: Peepli to Ladunda.
Road 1(Peepli to Ladunda) Fuzzy evaluation set Applying MGP Applying FPCI Ranking combining
both approach
Stretch 1 (0.1715, 0.3839, 0.44, 0, 0) Fair 0.248 1
Stretch 2 (0.044,0.243,0.631,0.0807,0) Fair 0.216 8
Stretch 3 (0.057,0.310,0.557,0.074,0) Fair 0.223 4
Stretch 4 (0.150,0.256,0.386,0.205,0) Fair 0.221 5
Stretch 5 (0.2118,0.223,0.4617,0.102,0) Fair 0.236 2
Stretch 6 (0.222,0.248,0.271,0.256,0) Fair 0.217 7
Stretch 7 (0.050,0.287,0.544,0.116,0) Fair 0.218 6
Stretch 8 (0.195,0.229,0.327,0.246,0) Fair 0.224 3

(0–100 m) of Peepli to Ladunda road. Using IRI (one of
the performance indicator) as an example, its value for this
particular stretch is 4.31. The grade of membership func-
tion of IRI pertaining to fuzzy evaluation set V = {Very
Good, Good, Fair, Poor, Very Poor} can be written
directly from Fig. 7 as lY = (0, 1, 0.437, 0, 0). This fuzzy
set is then normalized using relation Rlyyi = 1 resulting
in lYyj = (0, 0.609, 0.304, 0, 0). Similarly, the evaluation
of this road segment has been done using other perfor-
mance indicators also in which grades of membership func-
tion are computed by substituting respective result of each
indicator into corresponding membership functions of
Figs. 7–10. The original and normalized fuzzy set of all
four performance indicators for stretch 1 of Peepli to
Ladunda road is presented in Table 3. Each performance
parameter is assigned five membership numbers in terms
of fuzzy evaluation set V = {Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor,
Very Poor}.
The fourth step involves a transformation from fuzzy
relation ‘R’ to fuzzy evaluation ‘V’ through a mapping
operator as per the relation defined in Eq. (8). The final
fuzzy evaluation set ‘V’ obtained corresponds to IRI is:
 
lY y j ¼ ð 0:243 0:4114 0:143 0:200 Þ
2 3
0 0:696 0:304 0 0
6 0 0:268 0:732 0 0 7
6 7
6 7 The second approach used in this case study to assess
4 1 0 0 0 05
0:138 0:52 0:344 0 0
V = (0.1715, 0.3839, 0.44, 0, 0)
Final fuzzy evaluation set ‘V’ for all the eight stretches
of road 1 is computed in similar fashion and presented in
column(1) of Table 4. Along with final fuzzy evaluation
set ‘V’ the defuzzification results obtained using MGP
approach is also presented in the column(3) of Table 4.
As already discussed in the methodology, this approach
may result in similar linguistic ratings of stretches which
can be perceived directly from column (3) of Table 4.
In second approach, FPCI value has been evaluated
using quantifiable weight vector (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) respectively
corresponding to evaluation set V = {Very Good, Good,
Fair, Poor, Very Poor} so that these five different linguistic
assessments can be distinguished, which after normaliza-
tion becomes as (0.333, 0.267, 0.200, 0.133, 0.067).
FPCI ¼ ð 0:333 0:267 0:200 0:133 0:067 Þ
2 3
0:172
6 7
6 0:384 7
6 7
6 7
6 0:440 7 ¼ 0:248
6 7
4 0 5
0
Fuzzy pavement condition index (FPCI) value of all
eight stretches of Road 1 is computed in similar fashion
and presented in column(4) of Table 4. The segment getting
the lower ranking is in worst condition than others and
receives first priority for maintenance purpose.
3.2.2. Development of fuzzy weighted average (FWA)
approach
the pavement condition is Fuzzy weighted average
(FWA) method. The main perspective is to compare the
results obtained from FAHP and distinguishing the rank-
ing sequences of the pavement stretches. The step by step
procedure of the proposed methodology is explained in
subsequent paragraphs. The first and foremost important
step is to derive the membership functions that are true rep-
resentative of linguistic rating terms and weights of param-
eter used. The linguistic variables used in this study for the

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 A.P. Singh et al. / International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology xxx (2018) xxx–xxx 13

Table 5
Linguistic rating terms’ range values of different performance indicators.
Linguistic description Range value
IRI (m/km) Surface modulus (Eo) (MPa) Rutting (R) (mm) Friction coefficient (f)
Very Good (VG) 0–2.5 >210 0–2 >0.6
Good (G) 2.5–4 175–210 2–5 0.4–0.6
Fair (F) 4–6 135–175 5–11 0.35–0.4
Poor (P) 6–7.5 98–135 11–16 0.2–0.35
Very Poor (VP) >7.5 <98 >16 <0.2

Table 6
Linguistic description of performance indicators.
Performance indicator Linguistic description
IRI Very Important
Surface Modulus (Eo) Extremely Important
Rut depth (R) Important to some extent
Friction coefficient (f) Important

rating of pavement parameters are: {Very Good, Good,

Fair, Poor, Very Poor}. Similarly, the importance weights
of parameters are determined using the following linguistic
variables: {Extremely Important, Very Important, Impor- Fig. 12. Membership functions for rating of performance indicators.
tant, Moderately Important, Important to some extent}
and presented in Table 6.
The next step is to formulate a questionnaire to obtain
the expert’s opinion on the range values of linguistic rating
terms of performance parameters. The range values so
obtained after discussing with the experts are presented in
Tables 5. The corresponding linguistic terms are normal-
ized between 0 and 1 to decide the shape of membership
functions.
The third step is to construct the best membership func-
tions correspond to linguistic rating terms and weights of
pavement parameters used. The final graphical shapes of
membership functions are expressed as triangular fuzzy Fig. 13. Membership functions for weightages of Performance Indicators.
numbers by taking opinion of experts working in the field
and reviewing the literature. Use of particular membership triangular or trapezoidal membership functions are being
function depends upon actual application (i.e. range of used. The fuzzy weight of each parameter can be repre-
input and output parameters), classification of different sented in terms of triangular fuzzy number [(x1, ll(x1));
grades of evaluation and its impact on chosen criteria as (x2, l2(x2)); (x3, l3(x3))] as shown in Fig. 11, where li(x)
well as on opinion of the experts. For example, in case is membership value of any decision variable xi to represent
where system needs dynamic variations for shorter range, linguistic view of the decision maker mathematically.
The final triangular membership functions are defined
by three parameters (x1, x2, x3) and presented in Figs. 12,
13. The average maximum value corresponding to Very
μi(x) Good, Good, Fair, Poor and Very Poor is 1, 0.75, 0.5,
0.25 and 0 respectively. Similarly, the membership func-
tions of importance weights of pavement parameters have
also been derived.
The next step is to formulate the final fuzzy set using
FWA operation based on the mathematical expression
defined in Eq. (11) illustrating the condition of each pave-
ment stretch taking into consideration of all the perfor-
0 x1 x2 x3 xi mance parameters. [6,12,16].

Fig. 11. Triangular fuzzy membership function.

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14 A.P. Singh et al. / International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology xxx (2018) xxx–xxx
Pn
W i Ri
R ¼ Pi¼1
n ð11Þ
i¼1 W i
where, R represents the resultant fuzzy set for the final
assessment of pavement condition; Ri corresponds to the
fuzzy set that represent the linguistic rating term of ‘ith’
pavement parameter; Wi corresponds to the fuzzy set that
represent the weight of ‘ith’ pavement parameter and n rep-
resents number of pavement parameters considered.
The last step involves defuzzification process of the final
fuzzy set obtained using above methodology. Two different
approaches are used for defuzzification, one is alpha-cut
distance approach and other is calculation of Fuzzy Pave-
ment Condition Index (FPCI) value. In first approach, i.e.
alpha-cut distance method the final fuzzy set representing
the condition of pavement stretch is translated into linguis-
tic variable. This process involves the determination of dis-
tance between the final fuzzy set so obtained using Eq. (11)
and fuzzy set representing each linguistic term expression is
presented in Fig. 13. The distance between two fuzzy sets is
calculated using alpha level distance formula defined in Eq.
(12) corresponding to three alpha values i.e. 0, 0.5 and 1
[6,12,16].
qffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
PN 2 2
a¼1 ðamin  jmin Þ þ ðamax  jmax Þ
dj ¼
N mance parameter are shown in Figs. 12 and 13. The
where,
dj: a-level distance between the output fuzzy number and
predefined fuzzy number ‘j’.
amin: lower bound of a-cut interval of the output fuzzy
number.
amax: upper bound of a-cut interval of the output fuzzy
number.
jmin: lower bound of a-cut interval of the predefined
fuzzy number ‘j’.
jmax: upper bound of a-cut interval of the predefined
fuzzy number ‘j’.
n: number of a-cut interval considered.
The fuzzy set which is having the least distance to the
final fuzzy set gives the linguistic term expression of the
pavement condition. Just like MGP, here also linguistic
rating makes it difficult to prioritize these stretches for
maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) works. So, in order
to have differential ranking of these stretches the fuzzy
pavement condition index (FPCI) needs to be calculated
based on the final fuzzy set result of FWA operation.
The model used in finding FPCI is defined in mathematical
form as: [6,16]
A L  AR þ 1
FPCI ¼
2
where, AL: area enclosed to the left of the membership
function that represents the final assessment of pavement
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condition and AR: area enclosed to the right of the mem-
bership function that represents the final assessment of
pavement condition.
Based on the FPCI value each road segment is assigned
a single numerical score, thereby making priority ranking
of pavement conditions of different road segments for dis-
bursement of funds for M&R works. The results obtained
from both methodologies are coinciding well and support
the same conclusion. The flowchart presented in Fig. 6
illustrates the complete methodology of FWA approach.
3.2.2.1. Illustration of FWA approach. As explained in the
methodology, firstly the linguistic variables associated with
both the rating and weights of performance parameters are
obtained. The range values of linguistic rating terms of
pavement performance are decided by taking opinion of
experts working in the field of pavement management.
These range values of linguistic rating corresponding to
four performance parameters along with linguistic weights
are given in Tables 5 and 6.
The next step is to construct triangular membership
functions for five scales of linguistic statements, normalized
on a scale of 0–1 such that 0 corresponds to Very Poor and
1 represents Very Good. The graphical shape of member-
ð12Þ ship functions correspond to ratings and weights of perfor-
triangular fuzzy numbers (a, b, c) that represent the linguis-
tic description for rating and weights of performance
parameters are presented in Tables 7 and 8.
In the third step, the fuzzy weighted average (FWA) has
been described in detail by considering stretch 1 i.e. (0–100 m)
of Peepli to Ladunda road. On the basis of linguistic rat-
ings and importance weights, the triplets of triangular
membership function were derived with respect to all four
important criteria for stretch 1 of Peepli to Ladunda road
as shown in Table 9.
The FWA operation used to assess the pavement condi-
tion is defined mathematically in Eq. (11). The resultant
final fuzzy set corresponding to segment 1 is (0.352, 0.63,
0.851).
The last step deals with defuzzification process of the
final fuzzy set using two different approaches. The first
one is alpha cut distance method which involves the deter-
mination of distance between the final fuzzy set and stan-
dard fuzzy set representing linguistic rating term
expression. Alpha level distance formula defined in Eq.
(12) is used to translate the final fuzzy set into linguistic
Table 7
Rating of each performance parameter.
Linguistic description Weights with triangular elements
Very Good (VG) (0.75, 1, 1)
ð13Þ Good (G) (0.5, 0.75, 1)
Fair (F) (0.25, 0.5, 0.75)
Poor (P) (0, 0.25, 0.5)
Very Poor (VP) (0, 0, 0.25)
 A.P. Singh et al. / International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology xxx (2018) xxx–xxx 15

Table 8 to decide which stretch needs prior funding because of sim-

Important weight of each performance indicator.
Linguistic description Weights with triangular elements
Extremely Important (0.7, 0.9, 1)
Very Important (0.5, 0.7, 0.9)
Important (0.3, 0.5, 0.7)
Important to some Extent (0.2, 0.4, 0.6)
Not Important (0, 0.1, 0.3)
term corresponding to 0, 0.5 and 1 values of alpha. The lin-
guistic rating of all the eight stretches of Peepli to Ladunda
road (Road 1) using alpha cut method is presented in
Table 10. As the smallest value obtained through alpha
cut distance method for stretch 1 is 0.145 which corre-
sponds to fair. Therefore stretch 1 has been ranked as ‘fair’
in the last column of Table 10. Similarly, stretch 4 has the
smallest defuzzified value equal to 0.082 which corresponds
to ‘good’. Similarly, the ranking of all stretches has been
expressed in linguistic term as shown in Table 10.
As already discussed in the methodology of FWA
defuzzification that this approach makes it quite difficult
ilar linguistic rating of stretches. There is a need to have
some more rational approach i.e. calculating FPCI value
using Eq. (13) based on the final fuzzy set result. Based
on this FPCI value each road stretch is assigned a single
numerical score, thereby making priority ranking for allo-
cating the funds for maintenance works.
FPCI value of all the eight stretches of Road 1 is pre-
sented in Table 11. The segment getting the higher ranking
is in worst position and in great demand for maintenance
work.
4. Results and conclusions
4.1. Results
The results of FAHP and FWA approaches are com-
pared for all the five PMGSY roads and are presented in
Fig. 14. While prioritizing the pavement stretches for opti-
mum allocation of limited funds the following inferences

Table 9
Fuzzy numbers (a, b, c) that represent letter grades for weights and ratings Road 1–Peepli to Ladunda.
Stretch1 (100–200 m) Field Data LT Ratings of each criterion Weight of each criterion
a b c a b c
IRI (m/km) 4.31 F 0.25 0.5 0.75 0.5 0.7 0.9
Surface Modulus (Eo) (MPa) 168 F 0.25 0.5 0.75 0.7 0.9 1
Rutting (R) (mm) 0 VG 0.75 1 1 0.2 0.4 0.6
Coefficient of friction (f) 0.45 G 0.5 0.75 1 0.3 0.5 0.7
*
LT = Linguistic term.

Table 10
Ranking of all the eight stretches of road 1 in linguistic term (LT) using alpha cut approach.
Stretch Final Fuzzy Set Alpha cut distance from Ranking in LT
VG G F P VP
Stretch 1 (0.352, 0.63, 0.851) 0.419 0.173 0.145 0.464 0.703 Fair
Stretch 2 (0.323, 0.57, 0.823) 0.472 0.1227 0.091 0.41 0.65 Fair
Stretch 3 (0.367, 0.62, 0.81) 0.415 0.167 0.151 0.47 0.71 Fair
Stretch 4 (0.426, 0.7, 0.92) 0.332 0.082 0.236 0.555 0.793 Good
Stretch 5 (0.426, 0.7, 0.92) 0.332 0.082 0.236 0.555 0.793 Good
Stretch 6 (0.326, 0.61, 0.843) 0.445 0.198 0.198 0.120 0.681 Poor
Stretch 7 (0.367, 0.62, 0.879) 0.412 0.163 0.163 0.1555 0.714 Poor
Stretch 8 (0.323, 0.61, 0.838) 0.446 0.199 0.199 0.43 0.681 Fair
*
LT = Linguistic term.

Table 11
Ranking of all the eight segments of road 1 on basis of FPCI value.
Stretch Final fuzzy set (R) Area to left of R (AL) Area to right of R (AR) FPCI Ranking on basis of FPCI
Stretch 1 (0.352, 0.63, 0.851) 0.491 0.259 0.616 5
Stretch 2 (0.323, 0.57, 0.823) 0.446 0.304 0.570 8
Stretch 3 (0.367, 0.62, 0.81) 0.493 0.2525 0.620 3
Stretch 4 (0.426, 0.7, 0.92) 0.563 0.189 0.687 1
Stretch 5 (0.426, 0.7, 0.92) 0.563 0.189 0.687 1
Stretch 6 (0.326, 0.61, 0.843) 0.466 0.275 0.595 6
Stretch 7 (0.367, 0.62, 0.879) 0.493 0.2525 0.620 3
Stretch 8 (0.323, 0.61, 0.838) 0.466 0.275 0.595 6

Please cite this article in press as: A.P. Singh et al., Pavement condition assessment using soft computing techniques, Int. J. Pavement Res. Technol.
(2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijprt.2017.12.006
16 A.P. Singh et al. / International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology xxx (2018) xxx–xxx

Road Fuzzy Rank ing by FAHP and FWA approach

Stretch Approach Peepli to Khudania Tripali to Jherli to Ghardu
Ladunda road Noolund Gujarok i se
Dhani Ramnath
pura
Road 1 Road 2 Road 3 Road 4 Road 5
Stretch 1 FAHP 1 8 1 7 1
FWA 5 8 1 7 1
Stretch 2 FAHP 8 7 5 6 2
FWA 8 7 6 8 2
Stretch 3 FAHP 4 1 6 1 5
FWA 3 1 7 1 6
Stretch 4 FAHP 5 5 7 5 8
FWA 1 2 5 4 8
Stretch 5 FAHP 2 3 3 8 3
FWA 1 3 3 6 3
Stretch 6 FAHP 7 6 4 4 4
FWA 6 6 4 3 4
Stretch 7 FAHP 6 4 2 2 7
FWA 3 4 2 2 7
Stretch 8 FAHP 3 2 8 3 6
FWA 6 5 8 3 4

Fig. 14. Comparison of results for selected roads.

are made. For Peepli to Laduna (road 1), stretch 2 gets the
first priority using both approaches however for other
stretches there is a slight variation in the ranking. From
Fig. 14, it can be observed that using FWA approach
stretches 3 and 7, 4 and 5, 6 and 8 are getting similar rank-
ings i.e. 3, 1 and 6 respectively. This is due to the range val-
ues prescribed for each linguistic term for rating the
performance indicators in FWA approach. Thus, when
the variation in performance indicators of different
stretches is less, it results in same triangular fuzzy numbers
to all those values falling in that particular range, and,
hence, gets the equivalent priority. While in FAHP
approach due to strict preference analysis and since the
membership functions are taken separately corresponding
to each performance parameter, it results in the differential
ranking of stretches. Therefore, there is possibility of differ-
ential ranking even with less variation in performance indi-
cators in case of FAHP approach. Similarly, for Khudani,
Tripali to Noolund and Ghardu to Ramnathpura roads
both these approaches are showing the same results in pri-
oritizing the stretches except at two segments. As far as
Jherli to Gujaro ki Dhani road is concerned, fuzzy AHP
is giving higher priority to stretch 6 for maintenance pur-
pose whereas in FWA this priority goes to stretch 2.
While comparing the findings of FAHP using FWA
operation it has been deduced that at all the roads (except
Peepli to Ladunda and Jherli to Ghujaro ki Dhani), the
results of FAHP are coinciding well with FWA results.
However the variability in the results for Peepli to Ladunda
and Jherli to Ghujaro ki Dhani roads are mainly due to
strict preference analysis used in FAHP. Since, member-
ship functions are taken separately corresponding to each
performance parameter in FAHP resulting into differential
ranking of stretches. However, in FWA approach an
appropriate range value is decided for each linguistic terms
for rating the performance indicators that result in same
triangular fuzzy numbers to all those values falling in that
particular range. Thus, for any two stretches of a pavement
with lesser variation in their performance parameter values
get the equivalent priority which is not the situation in case
of FAHP.
4.2. Conclusion
Most of the local government departments, responsible
for the maintenance of rural roads, do not have systematic
process for taking M&R decisions logically. The instru-
ments used for getting the relevant data do not always pro-
vide consistent data due to variation in field conditions.
Thus the application of FAHP and FWA were found to
be appropriate methods for prioritizing the pavement
stretches. This is expected to work as a tool for the local
level officials involved in maintenance of rural roads in
effective decision making as adequate funds are not usually
available for road maintenance.

Please cite this article in press as: A.P. Singh et al., Pavement condition assessment using soft computing techniques, Int. J. Pavement Res. Technol.
(2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijprt.2017.12.006
 A.P. Singh et al. / International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology xxx (2018) xxx–xxx
The quantification of subjective knowledge of various
performance indicators can easily be performed using
appropriate techniques presented in this paper. The proce-
dure presented in this paper can be applied to the condition
assessment of any pavement structure if hierarchy of multi-
attributes and linguistic ratings can be formulated. How-
ever, specific membership functions and weight coefficients
need to be re-established as appropriate in accordance with
the type of roads and climatic conditions. The analysis pre-
sented herein has proven to be an effective tool in discrim-
inating condition of pavements.
The collected data on the current status of a pavement
serve as a good estimator for prioritizing the pavement
stretches. One can easily relate the results of PCA to
the type and extent of M&R works require in overcoming
the deficiencies of a road section. However, type of M&R
actions to be considered is beyond the scope of present
study. There are typically five actions in M&R strategies:
routine maintenance, preventive maintenance, deferred
action, rehabilitation and reconstruction to be considered
depending on the condition of a road section and avail-
ability of funds with implementing agency. In future stud-
ies, life cycle cost analysis can be performed by integrated
techniques presented herein with the commercially avail-
able software such as Highway Development and Man-
agement Tools (HDM-4) to select alternative M&R
strategies for prioritized stretches. Each selected stretch
can be considered as an alternative candidate for mainte-
nance and rehabilitation works under five possible treat-
ment types of M&R. However, depending on the
severity condition, all treatment types may not be
required for a given stretch. At government levels one
can also consider the other parameters such as traffic vol-
ume, traffic composition, use of more precise equipment’s,
performing sensitivity analysis, etc. in addition to those
which are already taken to support the decision of alloca-
tion of funds.
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Please cite this article in press as: A.P. Singh et al., Pavement condition assessment using soft computing techniques, Int. J. Pavement Res. Technol.
(2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijprt.2017.12.006