DurabRoads
This article was originally written by Divya Deepankar, Research Engineer, BSRIA Sustainable Construction Group. You can see the original article, published in July 2016, here.
In the European road sector, large quantities of materials and energy are consumed both in construction and maintenance, which is magnified by the negative effects of extreme weather conditions caused by climate change and the significant increase of traffic flow on some motorways due to the opening of freight corridors.
The technical limitations of current road materials and construction procedures have significant influence on the reduction of the asphalt surfaces lifetime and as a consequence, increases the costs of construction, maintenance and rehabilitation works, whilst also reducing the network availability.
Consequently, there is a need to develop new technologies and systems to provide a more affordable, durable, safer, greener and cost-effective road infrastructure. The objective of the DurabRoads project is to design, develop, and demonstrate cost-effective, eco-friendly and optimised long-life roads, which are more adapted to freight corridors and effects of climate-change by means of innovative designs, and the use of greener materials improved by nanotechnology.
A major aim of this project is the optimisation of current construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation procedures. The identification and quantification of the harmful effects of ever increasing traffic and environmental loads on the European highways is a major task identified in this project.
The participants involved in the project consortium include:
- Universidad De Cantabria.
- Acciona Infraestructuras.
- Fraunhofer.
- European Union Road Federation (ERF).
- Tecnalia.
- Norwegian Graphite.
- BSRIA.
- Institute for Transport Sciences (KTI).
- Sia Inenierbuve (IB).
BSRIA’s role in this project is to conduct the Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing Analysis of the proposed road design by establishing a base case scenario similar to the existing roads to then compare it with the modified alternative designs.
This project targets two problems associated with the road industry:
Deterioration of asphalt surfaces
Addressing the technical limitation of current materials and procedures, negative effects of extreme weather conditions due to climate change and increase of traffic loads due to the opening of freight corridors.
Unsustainability of the road sector
Addressing the intensive use of natural resources, i.e. aggregates and fuel, greenhouse gas emissions and low recycling rate. The base case of the road is being established based on the environmental product declaration (EPD) of a cleavage of a Spanish road, N-340 in Sector E-40, Elche (Alicante) given by Acciona Infraestructura. The alternative designs will use warm mix asphalts (WMA) incorporating the nanomaterial-modified bituminous binders (NMB), including the addition of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and by-products. Asphalt concrete, porous asphalt and BBTM mixes types are also expected to be designed.
This project proposes two solutions to the problems identified above in the road industry by:
- Evaluation and optimisation of road related materials and procedures.
- Development and validation of advanced, more durable, and eco-friendly asphalt materials.
The first stage of evaluation and optimisation of road-related materials and procedures will be conducted by first quantifying the impacts of climate change and of the traffic loads in freight corridors on the EU road network. Then, an evaluation of the constraints on road materials and the road construction, maintenance, rehabilitation techniques to withstand challenges coming from climate change and freight corridors will be conducted.
By defining the optimisation criteria on durability, safety, cost-effectiveness, environmental-friendliness and socio-economic factors, using life-time engineering concepts and multi-criteria analysis, the best practices will be identified.
The second stage of development and validation of advanced; more durable and eco-friendly asphalt materials will involve selection, analysis and characterization of carbon nanomaterials with good compatibility towards organic matrices like polymers and bitumen.
The alternative materials suggested as additions into the road material mix include nanomaterial-modified polymers, nanomaterial-modified bituminous binders (NMB), small quantities of steel slag as a substitute to aggregates and warm mix asphalts (WMA) incorporating the NMB, including the addition of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and by-products. Asphalt concrete, porous asphalt and BBTM mixes types are expected to be designed.
By conducting a Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing Analysis, the objective is to understand the environmental impact of constructing a road which will be compared with the alternate cases on development and addition of warm mix asphalts to the road mix to identify the most suitable material mix.
After implementation and validation of two DurabRoads pavements at a real scale, these materials are suggested to be incorporated into the road construction material mix.
--BSRIA
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- BSRIA articles on Designing Buildings Wiki.
- DurabRoads - life cycle costing analysis.
- European hydronic controls market.
- Kerbs.
- Life Cycle Costing.
- Overview of the road development process.
- Pavement.
- Platooning.
- Road construction.
- Road improvement scheme consultation.
- Road joints.
- Smart technology.
- Types of road and street.
Featured articles and news
The UK's Modern Industrial Strategy: A 10 year plan
Previous consultation criticism, current key elements and general support with some persisting reservations.
Building Safety Regulator reforms
New roles, new staff and a new fast track service pave the way for a single construction regulator.
Architectural Technologist CPDs and Communications
CIAT CPD… and how you can do it!
Cooling centres and cool spaces
Managing extreme heat in cities by directing the public to places for heat stress relief and water sources.
Winter gardens: A brief history and warm variations
Extending the season with glass in different forms and terms.
Restoring Great Yarmouth's Winter Gardens
Transforming one of the least sustainable constructions imaginable.
Construction Skills Mission Board launch sector drive
Newly formed government and industry collaboration set strategy for recruiting an additional 100,000 construction workers a year.
New Architects Code comes into effect in September 2025
ARB Architects Code of Conduct and Practice available with ongoing consultation regarding guidance.
Welsh Skills Body (Medr) launches ambitious plan
The new skills body brings together funding and regulation of tertiary education and research for the devolved nation.
Paul Gandy FCIOB announced as next CIOB President
Former Tilbury Douglas CEO takes helm.
UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy. In brief with reactions
With the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA).
Ebenezer Howard: inventor of the garden city. Book review.
The Grenfell Tower fire, eight years on
A time to pause and reflect as Dubai tower block fire reported just before anniversary.
Airtightness Topic Guide BSRIA TG 27/2025
Explaining the basics of airtightness, what it is, why it's important, when it's required and how it's carried out.
Construction contract awards hit lowest point of 2025
Plummeting for second consecutive month, intensifying concerns for housing and infrastructure goals.
Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment 2025
Examining the state of mental health in construction, shedding light on levels of stress, anxiety and depression.
Comments
Thanks for sharing this information