Basics of pavement preservation in a changing World (Paper 782)

The choice of road maintenance techniques has long been the preserve of the consultants acting on behalf of the owners. At the same time, the road industry has developed its own technical skills so that to offer more elaborate solutions.
In the middle of the 1970’s, and even more in the 2000’s, economic constraints have forced the road owners to optimize technical solutions. To a certain extent, the goal was to do more for less. New tools such as life cycle analysis were developed: an expensive solution may be highly cost-effective over the life span of the infrastructure.
The requirements of sustainable development, often initiated by associations and staves by Gov-ernments have then added an important parameter in the criteria of selection of technical solu-tions, and, more broadly, in maintenance strategies.
In some countries, the Road Authorities have started to focus on their management role, out-sourcing the actions of specification. New ways of contracting appeared, with performance based contracts, BOTs, concessions, public – private partnerships.
In recent years, the public came into the debate. On one side, the users of the infrastructure re-quest that the funds generated by the use of road infrastructure are more equitably allocated to road maintenance. On the other side, the inhabitants in cities ask for solutions that create minimal inconveniences, especially in respect of noise emission.
Finally, new information and communication technologies, changing the way infrastructure are used, create new needs and new opportunities too.
New business models have been developed so that to meet these long term changes. Technolo-gies are also changing but the basics remain the same.