| dc.description.abstract | Based on life-cycle cost analysis concepts, the present study developed a comparative economic evaluation between rigid and flexible pavement structure, aiming to define the most economically viable alternative to be applied in a single roadway in Pato Branco's city, Paraná's state. Basically, the costs in roadway´s life cycle include agency and user´s costs. The first one is related to deployment, maintenance and rehabilitation costs, and the second one to vehicle operating costs, travel time delay and accidentes, which will be not addressed in this study. To determine the implantation costs, concrete pavement structures were dimensioned based on Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) and Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA), considering a project period of twenty years. Maintenance and rehabilitation survey costs were based on different hypotheses of service plans to be executed during the useful life of the structures, for both rigid and flexible section. The economic analysis was performed comparing the life cycle costs considering all the service plans hypotheses. As a result, it is possible to observe similar behaviors among the comparisons made at the present work. When considering just the implatation costs, it can be verified that the rigid pavement became 7,6% more expensive. However, taking into consideration the maintenance and rehabilition costs, the concrete pavement made of Portland Cement Concrete becomes economically more feasible. The average difference between the hypotheses tested was of R$ 1.432.829,38, which represents a R$ 74.355,44 per roadway kilometer, factor that turns the flexible pavement cost 6,1% more expensive than the rigid pavement, For the comparison made, the equilibrium age between the strucures was between eight and fourteen years. These results demonstrate the significance of the Life-Cycle Cost Analysis in pavement structures in the decision making at the design phase, a practice that is less used. In addition, considering the economic and technical aspects, it can be verified that rigid pavement structures can present important advantagens in the construction of new roadways. | |
