Evaluation of pavement warranty thresholds based on survey study and analysis of Pavement Management System data

Pavement warranty has been adopted by highway agencies in order to enhance pavement performance. The proper establishment of warranty items and thresholds is essential to a pavement warranty program. The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) initiated its pavement warranty program in 2000 and the thresholds established at that time and still in use are based on the deduct points that are converted from pavement distress measurements using empirical equations. This study reviewed and compared the warranty threshold practices in Mississippi and other states/provinces with existing pavement warranty programs. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect the pavement warranty threshold data from state/province highway agencies in the US and Canada. The advantages and disadvantages of the practices in warranty thresholds in different states/provinces were discussed. Further, statistical analyses were conducted on the pavement condition data saved in MDOT’s pavement management system to evaluate the appropriateness of the existing MDOT warranty thresholds.