Global assessment method of road distresses

The maintenance management of road networks needs significant financial and human resources even though it is now possible to automate the procedures. This paper proposes a global evaluation method of road distresses with reference to all the components of the road space (pavement, edges, barriers, signs, etc.) in order to support the manager in the decisions about maintenance strategies. The proposed method consists in the definition of an algorithm for the evaluation of a rational rating about the road conditions. Monte Carlo simulations method, in particular, is proposed for the calibration process; it allows to effectively explore the variability of all the considered factors by identifying the most appropriate solution. The proposed method can be applied both with reference to data collected by means of high performance instruments and with reference to the visual methods.