As we look from the past to the present of road maintenance and begin to consider the future, we can see that each era brings quite different challenges.
In the past, the challenge was to keep on top of pothole repair and maintenance schedules within the constraints of budget. More recently, the focus has switched to renewing and maintaining the road on a systematic basis, leading to policies of frequent treatment of the entire surface at regular intervals.
Regardless of whether the road is in disrepair throughout, the most worn part dictates the life-cycle. The policy works from a road condition standpoint, though it is hugely wasteful, especially in today’s world of net zero targets. Sustainability suggests we should replace the worn or defective part rather than the entire item. An example of this is the recent French initiative which rewards resoling a pair of shoes with a €25 rebate.
The realities of global warming and sustainability suggest that where road maintenance is concerned, we should extend the road surface life-cycle to reduce the carbon footprint.
Developments in technology have provided the opportunity to do this, just as they have done in human healthcare, where life expectancy has been significantly extended in recent times. By identifying and targeting the issue, a solution can be applied selectively.
Government policies reflect this:
Measure: Climate Adaptation should focus on preventative maintenance more than reactive works.
Benefit: Preventative road maintenance is less expensive, requires less energy, produces less carbon and is less disruptive to road users than reactive repairs.
The pothole season: The rain/freeze/thaw cycle at northern latitudes never fails to result in headlines about potholes. Headlines sell papers and politicians make more promises while engineers cringe at the prospect of the “Managed Decline” of our roads. When a pothole appears, a reactive pothole repair is the only solution available. Yet this repair does nothing to prevent the development of the next pothole. The defect has become the target, as it carries the reward. With a limited budget, it is difficult for a politician to explain to his voters that he is going to spend the money available on preventive maintenance while potholes are ignored.
How can preventive measures co-exist alongside the necessary reactive pothole repairs? A well-planned “find-and-fix” campaign can achieve this objective, sealing up damaged areas to prevent future defects while dealing with reactive repairs. Modern SIP machines have the ability to do this, leading in a cumulative reduction in the pothole count year on year.