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This scenario is certainly oversimplified, but unfortunately maintaining a parking lot in a proactive fashion is more the exception than the rule. When potholes begin to interconnect and the lot starts to look like a strip mining operation, it is often only then that budgets are submitted for repair of the pavement.

There are many reasons why maintaining a parking lot is not a priority. I've found that the primary reason is that managers often are not aware of the true value of their pavement asset. It is not uncommon that the replacement value of a hot mix asphalt parking lot can have a value in excess of $1 million based on a typical cost to install a parking stall with hot mix asphalt at $1,500 - $2,000 per stall.

The value of this asset is such that if the maintenance is overlooked for an extended period of time, the cost to replace it is often prohibitive in financial terms and the amount of "downtime" required to replace the lot is usually substantial. The property manager is then faced with using a "band-aid" approach that only exacerbates the problem. A "band-aided lot" is probably not the best first impression a company wants its customers and employees to have.

A potential solution to this reoccurring problem is to work with your client to develop an inventory of the current conditions and a long-term strategy to manage the pavement. This process is commonly referred to as a Pavement Management Program.

There are numerous interpretations of what elements comprise a Pavement Management Program (PMP). The earlier a PMP is begun, the greater the benefits the owner will experience. The key activities that comprise a PMP are:

• Pavement inventory/assessment
• Plans and specifications
• Tracking of maintenance and rehabilitation activities