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This report documents a review, carried out during 1993/1994, of the Treatment Selection Process (TSP) contained within the RAMM (Road Asset and Maintenance Management) system. The review draws upon the knowledge and experience gained by the users of RAMM for state highways in the Transit New Zealand Wanganui region and for local authority roads maintained by the Rotorua District Council. It reviews the performance of the TSP, and identifies differences between the outputs from the TSP with the results of a traditional engineering assessment of road maintenance needs by field assessment. The resulting prediction of road maintenance needs from both types of assessment are compared at the road network level (regional and district), and also at the project level.

The methodologies of both the TSP and the field assessment are described and the reasons for the differences in outcomes are discussed. These sections of the report are intended to provide a useful guide to users of the RAMM system, assuming a knowledge of New Zealand practices in the maintenance of state highways and local authority roads, to the interpretation and use of the outputs from RAMM when preparing a road maintenance programme, and for assisting with the preparation of major road maintenance schedules. It also provides users with a better understanding of the analyses carried out within the TSP and the sensitivity of the outputs from these analyses to inputs provided by the user. Recommendations are made for improvements to both system inputs and analyses.

Keywords: assessment, local authority roads, maintenance, management, New Zealand, pavements, pavement management, RAMM, roads, selection, state highways, treatment