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Challenges and Approaches to Assess the Impacts of Utility Cuts with Limited Pavement Condition Data

Abstract

Municipal agencies are faced with the challenge of managing utility cut installations on their roadway
networks. Recent studies have indicated that the impacts of utility cuts can be quantified, and that the
associated reduction in roadway asset value and pavement serviceability can be calculated.

In 2023, the City of Whitehorse (the City) with the assistance of Tetra Tech Canada Inc. (Tetra Tech)
completed a study to understand the impact on pavement performance resulting from the presence of
utility cuts on its roadway network. The outcome from this study provides the City with the information
to consider a future initiative to establish pavement degradation fees that reflect the actual loss of
service life and costs of an accelerated rehabilitation program resulting from utility cut installation.

Key aspects of this study include:

  • There are 126 recorded utility cuts completed in the last 10 years on the City’s 200 centreline kilometres of network.
  • The City historically collected pavement condition data for use in their pavement management system (PMS).
  • In 2018, the City switched evaluation methods for indexing their road network pavement condition to the Pavement Conditions Index (PCI) method. Since then, 73 utility cuts on pavements with PCI ratings were completed.
  • The PCI ratings were completed by different teams with the help from summer students. As such, consistency in how the PCI database was produced varies.

In the development of the impact analysis, the following approaches were adopted:

  • Conducted statistical analyses to examine the quality and significance of the PCI database. PCI values were analyzed using regression and KS-test to determine the significance within roadway sections with/without utility cuts. The statistical analyses provided the basis for further study.
  • Examine the general tread of PCI changes with/without utility cuts at three ranges of pre-utility cut PCI conditions: very good, good, and fair.
  • Developed two PCI models:
    • accelerated deterioration model that considered both the immediate PCI drop and PCI deterioration due to the potential long-term impact of utility cuts.
    • typical deterioration model that considered only the immediate PCI drop due to utility cuts.

Outcomes from the study include a quantified “Impact Cost” in utility cuts $/m2 for roadway classes of
Arterials, Collectors, and Locals, where the impact cost considered the loss in roadway service life from
the utility cut installation. A utility cut impact matrix was ultimately produced that allows the City to
assess the potential impact based on the pre-cut roadway PCI condition at the time of the installation.

Conference Paper Details

Session title:
Innovations in Pavement Management, Engineering and Technology
Author(s):
Palsat, Bryan
Liu, Qingfan
Eshpeter, Taylor
Topics:
Pavements
Year:
2024