The Treatments window provides the following panes: Treatments, Improvements, and Other Improvements. The Improvements pane is for attributes that vary according to a performance model (that is, performance index values such as IRI or roughness) and the Other Improvements pane is for attributes that do not vary according to a performance model (such as traffic or pavement age).

For example, a treatment could be to apply a 2" overlay. The resulting improvements from this treatment could then be to improve the IRI value, reset the pavement age to zero, and reduce bridge clearances by 2". The Improvements pane would show how the IRI value changes and the Other Improvements pane would change the pavement age and bridge clearances.

Treatments Pane

The Treatments pane lists all treatments used for long-term projects and the costs associated with each. It includes the following columns:

• Budget Group: The budget category assigned to the treatment. The budget category is typically configured to be one of three values: (1) Reconstruction; (2) Rehabilitation; or (3) Resurfacing. The value for the budget category is set in the Calculated Expressions window. During optimization analyses that are constrained by budget, the system assigns a treatment to a road section and attempts to subtract the cost of the treatment from the budget category assigned in this column. If the budget category has sufficient funds for the treatment, the treatment is assigned to the road section and the budget category's value is decremented by the treatment's cost. On the other hand, if the budget category has insufficient funds to cover the cost of the treatment, then the road section is skipped and is not considered for improvement in the current analysis year. For analyses that are not constrained by budget, the system ignores this column.
• Cost: Specifies the method by which the unit cost is calculated. The method is selected from a drop-down list that contains the available unit-cost calculations. (The treatment cost drop-down list and cost calculation expressions are configured in the Calculated Expressions window.)
• Exclusion Priority: Sets the value for the treatment exclusion priority, which sets the priority of this treatment in regard to other treatments. When the selected treatment is applied, then all other treatments with equal or greater treatment exclusion priority values will not be applied for the number of years given in the Exclusion Years column.
• Exclusion Years: Shows exclusion years. For those treatments with a future deterioration type of either Improvement Deteriorates in N Years or Increases Index RSL by N Years (as set in the Future Detr Type column in the Improvements pane), the value in this column indicates how long the improvement in condition should last until the condition returns to that experienced by the pavement section (according to its underlying performance model). The graph below shows how these years are applied to a maintenance treatment:
   
  Exclusion years define the minimum number of years after a treatment is performed before another treatment with a lower treatment exclusion priority value can be assigned to a pavement management section. (The treatment exclusion priority value is configured in the Exclusion Priority column.)
• Selection Priority: Shows the Selection Priority number, which determines which treatment from the decision trees should be used in optimization analysis. For a given performance class and condition attribute, multiple decision trees can be defined. During the decision-making process, the system calculates a recommended rehabilitation from each of these decision trees. The rehabilitation with the highest selection priority number becomes the selected strategy. Selection priority must be a unique number. The user should assign selection priority based on local knowledge and your agency's policy. This number is not used for INCBEN analysis.
• Standard Section: Shows the standard section, if any, that is associated with the treatment.
• Treatment Name: Provides the name of the treatment.
• Work Code: Specifies the work code for the treatment. The work code is selected from a drop-down list. Note that if a work code is not assigned to a treatment, any line item in a work plan that shows the treatment cannot be used to generate a construction history record.

Improvements Pane

After the treatment selected in the Treatments pane is applied, the condition attributes (also called performance indices) listed in the Improvements pane will change according to the rules configured in this pane. The condition attributes not listed in this pane are unaffected by the treatment and will not change.

The Improvement pane contains the following columns:

• Condition Attributes: Provides a drop-down list that contains all condition attributes that change according to a performance model. These condition attributes are columns in the Network Master file and have the Deteriorates check box selected in the Setup PMS Analysis Columns window.

• Condition Improvement Script: Only provided for those implementations that use the Optimization Analysis window. In these implementations, this column shows the name of the Groovy script that determines the "condition improvement" estimate. The script is selected from a drop-down list, the contents of which are configured in the Groovy Scripts window under the Condition Improvement type of Groovy script.

  Note: Rather than editing a script in the Groovy scripts window, you can instead modify a script by clicking the name, which then displays the Description of the Groovy Script Dialog Box.

• Effective for ...Years: Specifies how the N value for the two future deterioration types Increases Index RSL by N Years and Improvement Deteriorates in N Years is determined. Provided the Groovy Script for Number of Years column is null, the system uses the value entered in this column directly for the N value. (If the Groovy Script for Number of Years column is not null, the N value from the Groovy script overrides any value entered in this column.)
• Future Deterioration Type: Contains a drop-down list with the following deterioration methods:

  • Increases Index RSL by N Years: For the condition attribute, after treatment and improvement, the deterioration is set based upon the model selected using the Default Model Structure window's decision tree, but the model's coefficients will be automatically adjusted to extend the life of the road section by N years (based upon the RSL threshold as defined in the Performance Models window). This life extension is over and above the life extension due to the improvement itself. (The value of N is either set directly in the Effective for Years column or results from the Groovy script specified in the Groovy Script for Number of Years column.)

  • Improvement Deteriorates in N Years: For the condition attribute, after treatment and improvement, the deterioration is set to return to the "before treatment" model after N years after which the "before treatment" model is used. (The value of N is either set directly in the Effective for Years column or results from the Groovy script specified in the Groovy Script for Number of Years column.)

    Note: For those treatments with a future deterioration type of either Improvement Deteriorates in N Years or Increases Index RSL by N Years (as set in the Future Detr Type column in the Improvements pane), the value in this column indicates how long the improvement in condition should last until the condition returns to that experienced by the pavement section (according to its underlying performance model). The graph below shows how these years are applied to a maintenance treatment:

  • New PC Model: A new deterioration model for the condition attribute that deteriorates is applied based upon the model selected using the Default Model Structure window's decision tree.

  • Section Model If Exists, Otherwise New PC Model: If there is a model for the section, then, after treatment, it will be used; otherwise, the model selected using the Default Model Structure window's decision tree will be used. Note: Section models are always used during the first years of analysis prior to treatment. The same section model will continue to be used after treatment if you select this option.

• Groovy Script for Number of Years: Specifies how the N value for the two future deterioration types Increases Index RSL by N Years and Improvement Deteriorates in N Years is determined. When a script is selected in this column, the system uses it to calculate the N value (and ignores the Effective for … Years column).

• Condition Improvement Script: This column is provided for those implementations that use the Optimization Analysis window. In these implementations, this column shows the name of the Groovy script that determines the "condition improvement" estimate. The script is selected from a drop-down list, the contents of which are configured in the Groovy Scripts window under the Condition Improvement type of Groovy script.

  Note: Rather than editing a script in the Groovy scripts window, you can instead modify a script by clicking the name, which then displays the Groovy Script Dialog Box.

Other Improvements

After the treatment selected in the Treatments pane is applied, the non-PI-based attributes listed in the Other Improvements pane will change according to the rules configured in this pane. When multiple records appear in this pane, the order in which the attributes are updated is set by the value in the Update Order column of the Setup PMS Analysis Columns window.

The Other Improvement pane contains the following columns:

• Changing Attributes: Provides a drop-down list that contains all non-PI-based attributes (that is, attributes that don't change according to a performance model, such as pavement age or traffic). These attributes are columns in the Network Master file and have the Restart with Treatment check box selected in the Setup PMS Analysis Columns window.

• Condition Improvement Script Other: Shows the name of the Groovy script that determines the "condition improvement" estimate. The script is selected from a drop-down list, the contents of which are configured in the Groovy Scripts window under the Condition Improvement type of Groovy script.