Markov decision processes for road maintenance optimisation

This paper primarily focuses on finding a policy for maintaining a road segment. The paper presents two methods for finding such a policy. The first one is using a probabilistic Markov Decision Process in order to determine the optimal maintenance policy. The second method is used by the Road and Hydraulic Engineering Division (DWW). That policy however is not optimal but does not require an MDP to be found. The paper will show that despite of finding an optimal policy via the first method this will not always be the best option to use.