Future Trends in Road Technologies Development in the Context of Environmental Protection

Abstract

Construction of modern and durable asphalt and cement pavements requires high quality materials and suitable technologies that take into account sustainability concerns which are related to the environmental protection, mitigation and compensation for road construction effects on surface water and groundwater, soil, air, wildlife, landscape, vibration and noise. The objectives of this paper are to identify possible development directions of materials and technologies in road construction in the time perspective of approximately 30 years. In order to achieve that goal a nationwide Delphi survey with 150 invited experts was deployed. The study concluded that binding materials with improved viscoelastic range – and often with specific modifications – would continue to play a leading role. Furthermore, technologies that enable monitoring the state of road pavement condition in a continuous manner would be used to a greater range. Introduction of sensors into the pavement network would lead to the construction of “smart” roads while spreading of nanomaterial technology would improve the durability and reliability of road pavement construction.