Pavement Condition Index (PCI)
Pavement Condition Index, or PCI, is a rating from 0 to 100 of the severity and extent of distresses observed on a pavement surface. Examples of typical pavement surface distresses are spalling, rutting, scaling, and cracking.
In 2020, and again in 2023, Stantec conducted surveys of Waseca's paved streets using their Road Tester 3000 (RT3000) vehicle. The RT3000 collected surface distress data and provided PCI ratings for the approximately 40 miles of paved roadway that the City is responsible for maintaining.
Overall, the average PCI for all streets surveyed in 2020 was 65.7. In 2023, the City-wide average PCI increased slightly to 66.2. Further 2020 results and details can be viewed in Stantec's Pavement Management Analysis Summary Report. As streets have been improved since 2020, their PCI values have been updated accordingly. The average yearly deterioration rate will not be known until the recently acquired 2023 PCI data is analyzed in comparison to the 2020 values. The current Waseca Streets PCI Map therefore shows recently improved streets in good to excellent condition with all other streets displaying their 2020 PCI rating.
City-wide PCI data provides a snapshot of the condition of individual street sections and is a valuable capital improvement planning and budgeting tool. For example, PCI ratings can help determine the expected level of construction or maintenance a particular roadway will need.
In general, a PCI rating of 0-50 indicates that future reconstruction or reclamation will be necessary. A rating of 51-70 typically requires rehabilitation in the form of patching or a mill and overlay project, and a rating of 71-100 usually means that only pavement preservation treatments such as crack sealing or seal coating are needed. Long-term street improvement budgets can then be estimated using average costs for those construction and maintenance activities.
Because only surface distresses are measured, PCI data does have its limitations. Therefore, visual inspection, pavement core sampling, and other information is typically gathered and considered before making specific construction project decisions.