A Laboratory Procedure for Improving the Design of Road Rehabilitation Actions: Study of a Real Case in a Highway Pavement

Abstract

Pavement rehabilitation has become an issue of major concern for road administrations. In the coming years, the development of more effective strategies for improving these actions will be crucial. On some occasions, traditional methods used to define pavement rehabilitation solutions are not able to select the best alternative from a sustainable, technical and economical point of view. Given these challenges, a new methodology was developed for use as a complementary tool for optimizing road pavement rehabilitation actions. This methodology is based on a comparative analysis of the structural behaviour of different types of materials and the subsequent selection of the best alternative based on the results obtained. The present paper describes the methodology and summarises its application during the rehabilitation of a highway pavement. The results of this study indicate that the use of this procedure could optimize the consumption of natural and economical resources in rehabilitation actions, offering more competitive alternatives when the available budget cannot cover the costs associated with traditional solutions.