Abstract
Option evaluation systems (OESs) have been widely recognized as a powerful means for investigating such policies of optimal pavement preservation for road networks in various situations. OESs, however, entail exogenously specified alternatives of pavement preservation. Hiep (2009) generalized the combined optimization- simulation methodology (GCOSM) for finding optimal maintenance strategies without relying on user specified options, taking into account of various treatments including resealing, overlay and reconstruction. Based on GCOSM, the objective of the paper is to propose an approach to investigating optimal pavement preservation strategies (OPPSs) for a national road network in a systematic manner. The HDM-4 system is employed as an OES in the study for Vietnamese national road network. The findings may provide a guideline for highway agencies in better applying the appropriate maintenance work based on site surveys in terms of pavement conditions and traffic situations with regard in saving the total transport costs to the society.
