Nugraha Ahmad Santorini, Buyung Mantap
The selection of pavement type is a strategic decision in highway planning because it directly influences structural performance and cost efficiency throughout the service life. This study aims to compare the technical and economic performance of flexible and rigid pavements using a quantitative comparative simulation approach. The simulation was conducted on a 5 km arterial road with a subgrade California Bearing Ratio (CBR) of 5%, an annual traffic growth rate of 4.5%, and a 20-year design life. Pavement design was developed based on the 2017 Manual Desain Perkerasan Jalan (MDPJ), while the economic evaluation employed the Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) method with an 8% discount rate. The results indicate that flexible pavement requires a multilayer structure with a total thickness of approximately 50 cm, whereas rigid pavement utilizes a 25 cm concrete slab. Although the initial construction cost of flexible pavement (IDR 18.50 billion) is lower than that of rigid pavement (IDR 24.20 billion), the total life cycle cost of rigid pavement (IDR 22.47 billion) is lower than that of flexible pavement (IDR 24.72 billion). These findings demonstrate that rigid pavement is a more cost-effective alternative for heavily trafficked roads when evaluated from a life cycle cost perspective.