Road Pavements Introductory Report

The need to innovate and the advances in technology are inescapable issues in terms of meeting the expectations of the public and road users. These expectations are increasingly specific and demanding in many ways, including lower costs, better performance, and contribution to sustainable development, environmental protection, mobility and safety. In the 2004-2007 period, the work of PIARC Technical Committee 4.3 on Road Pavements focused on three main issues: long life pavements, recycling and the impact of road works on the road users and the surrounding environment. This work led to several observations pertaining to the obstacles that must be overcome in order to further the development and introduction of new pavement technologies. Depending on the development status of a product, a process, or a technique, various actions can be taken to support the innovation effort, and to bring winning products up to the practical application stage. A new concept can only be introduced if the client is made fully aware of the various factors related to the innovation. In order to realize the benefits of an innovation, the client must also be convinced that the concept can be replicated on a large scale in practice. In order to gain acceptance, the concept of long life cycle pavements must be supported by clear technical demonstrations that establish that their observed performance and value-per-dollar are advantageous. Many techniques cited in work carried out by TC 4.3 have already proven their worth, including recycling. However, they have not yet attained their full potential. Therein lies the great importance of the need to clearly inform clients and to provide designers and enterprises with technical tools. Although the many steps that have been taken to mitigate the impact of road works are well known, more innovations are required in order to meet the expectations of users and neighbouring residents during construction work. Finally, innovation efforts are more likely to succeed if the largest possible number of stakeholders is involved in the various stages. The client has a role to play in creating conditions that are conducive to technological progress. Meanwhile, engineers and enterprises must display creativity and excellence in engineering in order to develop superior performing new products and processes at attractive costs. For the covering abstract see ITRD E139491.