Socio-Enviro-Financial Comparison of Different Design Options for Local Road Pavement Rehabilitation

Local road pavements are often comprised of thin marginal granular material base courses with a thin bituminous surface. When these pavements require rehabilitation, new granular reconstruction is the standard historical approach. However, in recent times, stabilisation of the existing pavement has also become popular. This research calculated seven structurally equivalent pavement rehabilitations, including a new granular and two stabilised pavement options, each with sprayed seal and asphalt surface options, as well as a full depth asphalt pavement. The social, financial and environmental cost of each was estimated, and a triple bottom line value was calculated. It was concluded that stabilisation of the existing pavement structure consistently provided the lowest cost solution, whereas new granular pavement reconstruction was consistently the most expensive option. It is recommended that existing pavement stabilisation be the preferred existing pavement rehabilitation for local roads, except where other factors render stabilisation unviable.