Pavement Preservation Strategies | How to Extend Road Life & Save Costs

Key Concepts

• Pavement Preservation: Cost-effective methods to extend road life.
• Proactive vs. Reactive Preservation: Applying treatments before distress vs. after.
• Pre-Preservation: Technologies applied during construction for long-term protection.
• Void Reducing Asphalt Membrane (VRAM): Applied before paving to waterproof and reinforce joints.
• Rapid Penetrating Emulsion (RP): A fog seal that penetrates the pavement to waterproof it from the top.
• Network Mindset: Agency engineers considering the entire road network, not just problem areas.
• FP2 (Foundation for Pavement Preservation): Organization advancing preservation policies and best practices.
• Highway Trust Fund: Funding mechanism for highway projects facing a potential shortfall.

Proactive Pavement Preservation

• Pavement preservation is a cost-effective way to extend road life. Waiting until a road shows signs of distress can cost two to three times more than preserving it proactively.
• Proactive vs. Reactive: Most preservation is a reactive action to a problem that's developing.
• Pre-Preservation: Newer technologies like JBand VRAM are applied during construction. This is called "pre-preservation" because it's done before problems develop. It's like siding on a house, preventing the need to repaint as soon.
• Network Mindset: Agency engineers should have a network mindset, considering the entire network rather than just fixing the loudest problem.

Technologies for Road Durability and Cost Efficiency

• Toolbox Approach: Different roads need different tools. Technologies evolve, but the fundamental goal is using asphalt cement as a waterproofing medium. Stone is used for structural value or to keep cars off the oil (chip seal).
• Void Reducing Asphalt Membrane (VRAM):
  • Applied before paving, especially at longitudinal construction joints.
  • A large amount of oil (like a gallon per square yard) migrates up into the mix when hot mix is placed over it.
  • Reinforces and waterproofs the pavement.
• Rapid Penetrating Emulsion (RP):
  • A newer technology for fog sealing.
  • Designed to rapidly penetrate the surface and fill macro texture without affecting stripe adhesion.
  • Works from the top down, while VRAM works from the bottom up.
  • Can be used together or separately.
• Indy500 Example: The Indy500 track uses both VRAM and RP. The racing surface used to be replaced every 7-9 years, but it has lasted 25 races since these technologies were applied.

VRAM Adoption and Industry Practices

• VRAM adoption is accelerating across the US due to success breeding success and growing support in states like Arizona, Utah, and Indiana.
• Success Breeds Success: Close to 10,000 miles of VRAM have been laid with good results.
• Courageous Engineers: It takes a courageous engineer to be innovative in this space.
• VRAM acts as an "insurance policy," providing incremental cost but ensuring a good joint.
• Pavements are designed to last 15-20 years, but longitudinal joints often fail in less than 7 years. VRAM focuses on protecting these joints.

FP2 and Advancing Best Practices

• Organizations like FP2 and resources like roadresource.org help engineers shape smarter pavement strategies.
• Awareness: FP2 promotes awareness at the federal level about the importance of investing in preservation.
• New Technologies: FP2 is working with senators and congress people in New England to earmark money for small agency engineers to try new technologies.
• LTAPS: This effort will work through the LTAPS (Local Technical Assistance Program), which are usually affiliated with universities.
• Derisking Innovation: The goal is to derisk trying something new, as failures are immediate, but benefits may take 10 years to be seen.
• Roadresource.org: A repository for information on micro surfacing, chip seal, and other technologies.

Funding and the Highway Trust Fund

• The biggest opportunity for FP2 is fixing the way the Highway Trust Fund is funded.
• The current funding model is facing a cliff.
• The solution needs to leave decision-making in the hands of engineers.
• Whether for or against EVs, they don't pay gas tax, and this needs to be remedied.
• The goal is equitable funding where everyone contributes to the roadways.

Pavement Evaluation and AI

• Pavement evaluation starts with a pavement evaluation program.
• AI is playing a role in data capture and analysis.
• Innovative approaches include fixing cameras to garbage trucks for time-lapse road monitoring.
• The human element of interpreting crack patterns is still important.
• AI systems are improving but not yet fully automated in interpreting and diagnosing problems.

Advice for Civil Engineers

• We can't spend our way out of the problem; we have to innovate our way out of it.
• This will be uncomfortable, as it requires trying new technologies and doing new things.
• Recognize the funding shortfall and the importance of infrastructure for the economy.
• Strive for equitable solutions in funding.

Civil Engineering Hot Seat

• Daily Rituals: Capture important ideas and make them actionable by building a list of things to accomplish. Focus on long-term goals and take steps to stay consistent with that path. Consume information and check in with mentors, friends, and competitors.
• Recommended Book: When Teams Work Best by Lefasto and Larson, which focuses on building a solid team based on strengths and weaknesses.
• Favorite Managers: Self-aware, hold accountable to solid measures, and transparent about their thought process.
• Elevator Advice: Know where you're ultimately trying to go in your career and seek out innovation. Take on projects that will help you gain capabilities. Be open to feedback. Invest in people and relationships.

Synthesis/Conclusion

The conversation emphasizes the critical need for proactive and innovative approaches to pavement preservation to address funding shortfalls and aging infrastructure. Technologies like VRAM and RP offer cost-effective solutions for extending road life, particularly by focusing on joint protection. The role of organizations like FP2 in promoting best practices and advocating for equitable funding mechanisms is also highlighted. Ultimately, the message is that civil engineers must embrace innovation, collaborate effectively, and advocate for sustainable funding solutions to build more resilient and cost-effective infrastructure for the future.