Foresight Study of Road Pavement Technologies

Abstract

The objectives of this paper are foresight study of the anticipated needs and requirements as well as identification of development directions of materials and technologies for use in road construction in the time perspective of approximately 30 years. In order to address this goal, Delphi forecasting method was utilized in the Polish-nationwide study with 150 invited experts. Paper presents results of research project dealing with development of directions of road pavement technologies with regards to the environmental aspects. As a result of the analyses, it was concluded that binding materials with improved viscoelastic range (often with modifications) would continue to play a leading role. Furthermore, according to the experts, the technologies that enable to monitor the state of road pavement in a continuous manner will be used to a greater range. Introduction of sensors into the pavement network will lead to the construction of "smart" roads while the spread of nanomaterial technologies in road construction will improve the durability and reliability of road pavement construction.