Texas Tech University

Project 0-4396e

Practices for Pavement Edge Maintenance

Abstract

The objectives for this research – to identify and to effectively communicate best practices for pavement edge maintenance – were accomplished by capturing over 3700 years of institutional knowledge from maintenance leaders representing all 25 Districts of TxDOT. The research focuses on maintenance practices for naturally-occurring edge drop-offs with an emphasis on low-volume roads. The key factors causing edge drop-offs are narrow road width/ absence of shoulders, traffic volume/type, and adverse environmental conditions. Tracy's Law, "If you lose the edge, you lose the road," provides a key perspective on meeting these challenges and emphasizes that good edge maintenance strategy is not only important in achieving good roads, but without good edge maintenance, a District cannot achieve good roads. Edge maintenance practices and procedures fall into three broad categories: awareness, preventive maintenance, and edge repair techniques. Road widening – both in-house using TxDOT forces and by formal contract – emerged as the ultimate practice for long-term treatment of edge problems. Districts use conventional, in-house-modified, and commercially manufactured equipment specifically dealing with pavement edge maintenance to address the edge drop-off issue. Due to the significant financial resources devoted to pavement edge maintenance, several tools are used to better plan and allocate edge
maintenance funds

Project PI: William D. Lawson, Ph.D., P.E.

Project Co-PI: M. Shabbir Hossain