Application of machine learning techniques for predicting municipal pavement condition index
2026 (English) In: Transportation Research Procedia: 12th BCRRA 26 / [ed] Suzana Svetličič, Elsevier, 2026, Vol. 99, p. 889-897Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]
Machine learning (ML) is becoming a powerful tool for forecasting pavement performance and enhancing the efficiency of maintenance and resource planning. This study investigates the application of machine learning, using the random forest (RF) algorithm, to predict pavement condition index (PCI) over time. Manually assessed data from 2014 and 2018 were used to forecast the PCI for 2022, allowing the model to capture deterioration patterns across residential and non-residential streets in Skellefteå Municipality, Sweden. Model performance was evaluated using several performance metrics to assess flexibility and generalization across a diverse set of input variables, including pavement age (A), several distress mechanisms (D), previous PCI rating (S), and traffic data (T). For non-residential streets, models were further grouped by surface treatment type to evaluate RF’s predictive accuracy under varying maintenance conditions. Among residential street models, the RF model using A+D+S achieved the best results, with an R² of 0.78 and a correlation coefficient of 0.89 using the combined 2014 and 2018 dataset. For non-residential streets, incorporating traffic variables (T) further improved accuracy, with the RF(A+D+S+T) model reaching an R² of 0.79 and a correlation coefficient (ρ) of 0.88. While performance varied slightly across treatment types, the PCI rating assessed in 2018 (Status2018) and the weighted distress value (WDV) emerged as the strongest predictors. Furthermore, using the combined dataset (2014 and 2018) did not significantly improve prediction accuracy over using 2018 data alone. The findings demonstrate that RF models can effectively predict PCI and enhance decision-making in municipal pavement management.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages Elsevier, 2026. Vol. 99, p. 889-897
Series
Transportation Research Procedia, ISSN 2352-1465
Keywords [en]
Municipal street maintenance, Machine learning prediction models, Random forest, Pavement condition, Maintenance treatments
National Category
Infrastructure Engineering
Identifiers URN: urn:nbn:se:vti:diva-22858 DOI: 10.1016/j.trpro.2026.07.130 Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105051208089 OAI: oai:DiVA.org:vti-22858 DiVA, id: diva2:2098153
Conference 12th International Conference on Bearing Capacity of Roads, Railways, and Airfields (12th BCRRA 26), Ljubljana, Slovenia, June 22-24, 2026
Projects Mistra InfraMaint Project 1.8 - Maintenance of roads and streets based on objective data
Funder Mistra - The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research, DIA 2016/28
Note Research funding also provided by Skellefteå Municipality.
2026-09-032026-09-032026-10-02 Bibliographically approved