Maintenance of Roads

The objective should be to keep the road surface

and appurtenances in good condition, and to extend the
life of the road asset to the maximum extent possible.
The activities include identification of defects and
the possible causes thereof, determination of appropriate
remedial measures, implementation of these in the field
and monitoring of the results.
This will involve identification, evaluation, planning,
scheduling, management of men, materials and
equipments, reporting and performance evaluation.
 Basic Maintenance Objectives
(a) Comfort, convenience and safety are afforded to the
public

(b) The investment in roads, bridges and appurtenances

is preserved

(c) The aesthetics and compatibility of highway system

with the environment is preserved, and

(d) The necessary expenditure of resources is

accomplished with continuing emphasis on economy.
 Classification of Maintenance activities
1. Ordinary repairs/ routine maintenance:
(i) Upkeep of road pavements and side shoulders
(ii) Upkeep of roadside drain system
(iii) Upkeep of culverts and bridges, and earth retaining
structures and parapets
(iv) Keeping the sign boards, KM stones and other traffic aids
and furniture in good shape and condition
(v) Maintenance of roadside arboriculture; and
(vi) Upkeep and maintenance of rest houses, inspection
bungalows and gang huts.
2. Periodic maintenance: It covers periodic renewals to the
carriageway whether it is graveled road, medaled road or black
topped road to ensure the adequate level of serviceability is
maintained.
3. Special repairs and flood damage repairs: This include the
details of urgent repairs not covered under ordinary repairs/
periodic maintenance.
 Planning of Maintenance Activities

I Inventory of road:
The following data are required to have a complete
inventory:
(a) District map on the scale of 1 : 50,000
(b) Strip maps of particular section of the road
(c) Surface history of the road

II Condition survey:
(a) By visual inspection, and
(b) By mechanical evaluation
 Suggested minimum frequency of inspection for
condition survey

E.E. D.E.E. Section I/C

Type of
road Routine Special Routine Special Routine Special

Once in two
months Before and
Twice a after
Before (Jan,
N.H./ year (April monsoons Once a Every
and after March,
S.H. & month week
monsoons May, July, Twice during
October)
Sept., Nov. rains
& Dec.
 Check list of items required to be inspected during
Inspection for maintenance of roads
(a)Safety aspects:
(i) Safety precautions for blockade and breaches taken
(ii) Deep cuts on roads
(iii) Damaged culvert/ bridge
(iv) Branches of trees at less height
(v) Power line crossings provided with guard cradles as per
IRC:32
(vi) Vertical clearances for power lines should be as per IRC:32
(vii) Horizontal clearances for poles carrying power and tele-
communication lines as per IRC:32
(viii) Berms not lower than 25mm for carriageway, and
(ix) For new plantation only, the horizontal clearances to be
kept as minimum 5m wherever possible
(b) Carriageway and crust conditions:
(i) Location magnitude of potholes and patches,
(ii) Condition of edges,
(iii) Magnitude and location of undulations, and
(iv) Location of crust failure, along with their causes

(c) Berms (Shoulders):

(i) Width of berms is adequate or not as per PWD
specifications
(ii) Cross slope kept as 3 to 5 percent
(iii) Side slopes
(iv) Berms properly dressed, and
(v) If turning exists, whether it is properly cut or not
(d) Road drainage:
(i) Cross-sectional area of drains adequate or not
(ii) To check if the drains are blocked or damaged, and
(iii) Whether proper disposal is provided to the drains
(e) Road fixture:
(i) KM stone, 5th KM stone, 200m stone and boundary stones
exists in proper condition
(ii) Traffic signs correctly located and maintained
(iii) Location and condition of berms on curves and high
embankments
(iv) Painting and number of culverts required, and
(v) History of the road mentioned on KM stones
(f) Road protection works:
(i) Retaining walls and pitchings on slopes properly maintained
or not
(ii) Condition of drains, spouts and weep holes in retaining walls
and in pitchings on slopes, and
(iii) Condition of parapet walls on culverts, etc.,
(g) Roadside Trees:
(i) Check in numbering of trees done or not
(ii) Disposal of dead trees, and
(iii) Register of trees maintained.

(h) Road Geometrics:

(i) Horizontal curves laid out properly or not
(ii) Extra width on curves conforms to IRC:38
(iii) Sight distances conform to IRC standards
(iv) Vertical curves properly laid out or not, and
(v) Ruling gradients conform to IRC standards
 Field procedure for inspection and planning
maintenance works:
Each road should be divided in sections of 5 km and
each Km should be further sub-divided into 200m stretches
for inspection purposes.
The extent of defects should be marked in bar lines
extending over lengths which they occur and the severity
of the defect may be marked in colours as detailed below:

Severe: Requiring urgent action in red

Less severe: Requiring special attention in dotted red
Defect: Requiring recurrent action in blue
Ordinary: in dotted blue
 Methods of assessment
(i) Visual assessments:

(ii) Side drains and turn outs: Side drains should be maintained at
least one meter below the formation level.

(iii) Corrugations:

(iv) Rutting:

(v) Potholes: The area covering majority of potholes should be

measured along with number in every 200metreage

(vi) Camber and Cross-fall

(vii) Loss of materials: The thickness of the WBM layer should be

checked at 15m intervals to assess the loss of material.
(viii) Cracking:
 Maintenance criteria

Feature Criteria Action Priority

Features concerned with safety of traffic:
Any type of breach which
Major breaches endangers safety of traffic and
Urgent
in the roadway causes obstruction to flow of
traffic

Cuts or blockades which do not Get blockades

Minor cuts, ruts
completely obstruct the traffic removed and get Urgent
or blockades
but endanger safety of traffic the cuts repaired

Branches of
trees at height Get them cut in
Special
less than 4.5m Any kind order of lower
attention
over the ones first
roadway
 Feature Criteria Action Priority
Carriageway and crust conditions:
Local sealing or
Cracking in local areas
filling of the
equal to or less than Routine
Cracking not cracks with slurry
25% of the total area
accompanied seal or fog seal
by rutting Cracking in large areas
Special
exceeding 25% of the Surface dripping
attention
total area
In local areas not
exceeding 25% of the Apply local sealing Routine
total area
Stripping Apply surface
In long areas exceeding dressing, use Special
25% of the total area antistripping attention
compounds
Feature Criteria Action Priority
in local areas not
Spread and roll over 6mm size
exceeding 25% Routine
aggregate, heated to 600c
of the total area
Bleeding
in local areas
Special
exceeding 25% Apply surface dressing
attention
of the total area
Apply tack coat @ 0.50 kg/sq.m
and fill bituminous mix using a
Less than 50mm rake and leaving an excess
accompanied by thickness of about one third the Routine
cracking depth of rut. Compact till
Rutting surface is levelled and local
sealing of cracks

More than 50mm Work of

With surface dressing over
accompanied by original
cracks, overlay required
cracking nature
 Feature Criteria Action Priority
Potholes, as soon Local restoration by Special
Potholes
as they occur patching preferable attention
Widely spaced
Slurry for fog seal Recurrent
Reflection cracks
cracks Closely spaced Special
Apply surface dressing
cracks attention
Edge
Patch road edge and
subsidence and Any extent Recurrent
repair shoulder
rutting
Check and correct by
Defective Special
Any extent reconstructioning to
camber attention
proper camber profile
Investigate the cause Special
Undulations Any extent
and rectify attention

Loss of
Special
material from Any extent Do re-gravelling
attention
unpaved road
 Maintenance criteria for Shoulders and Side drains

Feature Criteria Action Priority

Fill and compact

Deformation
and bring its
or scour of Any extent Routine
surface to
shoulders
desired camber

Silting of side Clean out the

Any extent routine
drains drains
Damage or Reconstruct to
Special
scouring of Any extent adequate shape
attention
drain and size
 Maintenance criteria for C.D. works : causeways

Feature Criteria Action Priority

Potholes in paved Any Repair by Special
surface extent filling attention
Erosion at inlet/ Any Special
repair
outlet extent attention
Guide posts/ flood Repair/ Special
Any
gauge missing replace attention
 Maintenance criteria for C.D. works : culverts

Feature Criteria Action Priority

Special
Silting Any Desilting
attention

Erosion at inlet/ Any Special

repairs
outlet extent attention

Special
Settlement cracks Any Repairs
attention
 Maintenance criteria for Other works

Feature Criteria Action Priority

Road furniture
and warning signs
Any Clean and
dirty or corroded routine
extent repair/ replace
or damaged or
missing
Special
Missing road signs any Fix new one
attention
 Criteria for renewal
Renewal cycle of bituminous surfacing depends on traffic density,
rainfall and lane width.

Type of renewal and

periodicity of the renewal
treatment for
Low Medium High
Traffic rainfall rainfall rainfall
Class Lane
(comme up to 150 – 300 above
of road width
rcial) 150 cm cm per 300 cm
per year year per year
Less SD SD SD
N.H. Single than
450 4 4 4
 SD SD SD
N.H. Single 450 to 1500
4 3 3
PC PC PC
More than 1500
6 5 4
MS MS MS
8 7 6
SD SD SD
N.H. Double Less than 450
5 4 4
SD SD SD
450 to 1500
4 3 3
PC PC PC
More than 1500
6 5 4
MS MS MS
8 7 6
SD - Single coat of surface dressing with 0.10
cum of chips and 11 kgs of bitumen for
10 sqm.
PC - 20mm premix chipping carpet as per
Ministry’s specification
MS - Mix Seal Surfacing as per Ministry’s
specifications
 Symptoms, causes and treatment of defects in
Bituminous Surfacing: Surface defects
Type of Probable Possible type of
Symptoms
distress causes treatment
Excessive
binder in Sand blinding;
premix, spray open graded pre-
Collection of or tack coat, mix; liquid seal
Fatty
binder on loss of coat; burning of
surface
the surface aggregates; excess binder;
excessively removal of affected
heavy axle area
loads
 Type of Probable Possible type of
Symptoms
distress causes treatment

Polishing of
aggregates Resurfacing with
Smooth
Slippery under traffic; surface dressing
surface
excessive or premix carpet
binder

Presence of Non-uniform
alternate application of
Application of a
Streaking lean and bitumen or at
new surface
heavy lines a low
of bitumen temperature
 Insufficient
Short and fine The treatment will
bitumen,
Hairline cracks at close depend on whether
excessive filler
cracks intervals on the
or improper pavement is structurally
surface sound or unsound.
compaction
Where the pavement is
structurally sound, the
Weak cracks should be filled
pavement, with a low viscosity
unstable binder or a slurry seal
Interconnected conditions of
or fog seal depending
Alligator cracks forming a subgrade or
upon the width of
cracks series of small lower layers,
blocks excessive over cracks. Unsound
loads or cracked pavements will
brittleness of need strengthening or
binder rehabilitation treatment
 Poor drainage
shoulder The treatment will
settlement, weak depend on whether
Longit- Crack on a joint between pavement is structurally
udinal straight line adjoining spreads sound or unsound.
cracks along the road of pavement Where the pavement is
layers or structurally sound, the
differential frost cracks should be filled
heave with a low viscosity
binder or a slurry seal
or fog seal depending
Lack of support upon the width of
from shoulder, cracks. Unsound
Crack near and
Edge poor drainage, cracked pavements will
parallel to
cracks frost heave, or need strengthening or
pavement edge
inadequate rehabilitation treatment
pavement width
 Cracks in The treatment will
transverse depend on whether
direction or Shrinkage of pavement is structurally
Shrinkage
interconnected bituminous sound or unsound.
cracks
cracks forming a layer with age Where the pavement is
series of large structurally sound, the
blocks cracks should be filled
with a low viscosity
binder or a slurry seal
or fog seal depending
Sympethetic Due to joints upon the width of
cracks over and cracks in cracks. Unsound
Reflection
joints and cracks the pavement cracked pavements will
cracks
in the pavement layer need strengthening or
underneath underneath rehabilitation treatment
 Symptoms, causes and treatment of defects in
Bituminous Surfacing: Deformation
Formation of Removal of the
crescent Usual thrust of wheel in a surface layer in
shaped cracks direction, lack or failure of the affected
Slippage pointing in the bond between surface area and
direction of the and lower pavement replacement
thrust of courses with fresh
wheels material

Heavy channelised traffic

Longitudinal inadequate compaction of Filling the
depressional in pavement layers, poor depressions
Rutting
the wheel stability of pavement with premix
tracks material or heavy bullock material
cart traffic
 Scarification
Lack of stability in mix,
and relaying of
Formation oscillations set up by
surfacings, of
Corrugations of regular vehicles, springs or
cutting of high
undulations faulty laying of surface
spots and filling
course
of low spots

Localised
bulging of Unstable mix, lack of
Removing the
pavement bond between layers, or
material to firm
surface stop type movements
Shoving base and
along the and those involving
relaying a
crescent negotiation of curves
stable mix
shaped and gradients
cracks
 Localised Presence of
Shallow Filling with premix
shallow inadequately
depressions material
depressions compacted pockets

Where fill is weaks,

the defective fill
should be
Poor compaction of
excavated and re-
Settlement Large fills, poor drainage,
done. Where
and deformation inadequate
inadequate
upheaval of pavement pavement or frost
pavement is the
heave
cause, the
pavement should
be strengthened
 Spreading and
compacting heated
Use of hydrophilic
sand over the
Separation of aggregate, inadequate
affected area in the
bitumen mix composition,
Disintegr- case of surface
from continuous contact
ation: dressing;
aggregate in with water, poor bond
Stripping replacement with
the presence between binder and
fresh bituminous
of moisture aggregate, poor
mix with added
compaction etc.,
anti-stripping agent
in other cases
Ageing and hardening
Rough
of binder, striping poor Application of liquid
surface with
bond between binder seal, fog seal or
Loss of loss of
aggregate
and aggregate slurry seal
aggregate in
insufficient binder, depending on the
some
brittleness of binder extent of damage
portions
etc.,
 Failure of binder Poor compaction, poor
to hold the bond between binder Application of cutback
aggregate shown and aggregate or covered with coarse
Raveling
up by pock marks insufficient binder, sand, or slurry seal or
or eroded areas brittleness of binder, a premix renewal coat
on the surface etc.,
Ingress of water into
Appearance of the pavement, lack of
Filling potholes with
bowl-shaped bond between the
Potholes premix material or
holes, usually after surfacing and WBM
penetration patching
rain base, insufficient
bitumen content, etc.,
Cutting the affected
area to regular
Water infiltration poor
sections and re-
Irregular breaker lateral support from
Edge building with
of pavement shoulders, inadequate
breaking simultaneous attention
edges strength of pavement
paid to the proper
edges, etc.,
construction of
shoulders