Engineering Future-Focused Roads

In an era of widespread budget cuts, rising costs, and labor shortages, public works departments face unprecedented challenges in maintaining our cities’ vital arteries - our roads. With 43% of public roadways in poor to mediocre condition and a staggering $435 billion backlog in repairs, it's clear that a shift is needed in how we approach road construction and maintenance.

The future of pavement management lies not in reactive maintenance but in a holistic approach combining predictive, AI-driven solutions, advanced design software, and innovative materials science. This integrated approach promises to increase efficiencies by extending pavement life, reducing maintenance budgets, and delivering significant resiliency benefits.

Building the Road of the Future
According to statistics from the FHWA, traffic has steadily increased by ~20% over the past 25 years. If current trends continue, a road built today will most likely take on future traffic loads much greater than it was designed to accommodate. However, forward-thinking designers and public agencies can start designing the road of the future today. The road of the future is smart, efficient and extends pavement maintenance intervals for 50%. It only requires rehabilitation every 30 years with reconstruction 50+ years, allowing owners to decrease their backlog, improve their network performance and do it all with minimal change to their current process.

What are the Keys to Building Future-Focused Roads?
When you combine the keys of design and data, it’s possible to save up to 50% on pavement maintenance and 35% on rehabilitation costs over the life of the road.

• Smart designs starts below ground. Using proven, cutting-edge technology like Tensar geogrid to optimize roadway designs for cost and performance, roads could last 50+ years below the asphalt surface.
• Collecting and assessing data through pavement management programs are essential for knowing when to act for timely intervention. However, public works departments are often short-staffed or lack the budget to hire outside consultants to capture the data. Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, like vialytics  is rapidly changing the game by creating faster and more cost-efficient means so that pavement management programs are affordable and easily accessible.
   

Embracing the Future of Pavement Management
The road of the future is not a distant dream but a rapidly approaching reality. By embracing the power of AI for data collection and analysis, leveraging advanced software for optimized design, and incorporating innovative materials like geogrids, public works departments can build and maintain roads that are smarter, stronger, and more sustainable.

This integrated approach to pavement management offers a solution to the pressing challenges of limited budgets and aging infrastructure. It allows communities to make data-driven decisions, optimize resources, and build roads that stand the test of time.

The time for change is now. Public works officials, engineers, and policymakers must look beyond traditional methods, embrace these innovative technologies and integrate them into a comprehensive, holistic approach. The road ahead is clear: more resilient, sustainable pavements that will be the foundation for our future cities and communities. By investing in these future-focused roads today, we can build a more resilient and efficient infrastructure for future generations.

For more about engineering tomorrow’s roads, get your free e-book, Future-Focused Roads: Extending Maintenance and Service Life of Roads with Data and Design.

Inside this eBook we discuss:

- Designing longer-lasting roads with geosynthetic technology
- How to collect data more efficiently with AI technology
- Examples of municipalities using data and design to extend maintenance budgets
-Actionable steps you can take now to extend maintenance budgets and build roads with less maintenance costs over the long run.

Don't Wait! Download it now!