Road and Infrastructure Upkeep

Introduction

This course on road maintenance and infrastructure management offers participants an in-depth understanding of maintaining road networks and the importance of addressing maintenance issues to minimize lifecycle costs. As road networks continue to expand, the focus shifts from construction to preserving and extending the life of existing infrastructure. Unlike construction projects with defined timelines, road maintenance is an ongoing process that requires continuous commitment. While construction focuses on engineering factors, maintenance is primarily a managerial concern. Effective maintenance often necessitates management reforms, capacity building, and changes in management practices.

Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Recognize the importance of proper road maintenance management.
• Utilize multi-criteria decision-making techniques for planning and scheduling road maintenance.
• Develop a comprehensive road management plan.
• Analyze existing maintenance programs and recommend improvements.
• Evaluate complex road maintenance programs and plans.

Training Methodology

• Simulations
• Group Discussions
• Role Playing
• Interactive Exercises
• Case Study Analysis
• Expert Panels
• Project-Based Learning

Course Outline

Unit 1: Road Infrastructure as an Asset

• Background
• Importance of road maintenance
• Management of existing road network data
• Preventive measures for road degradation
• Goals of road maintenance management planning

Unit 2: Control and Measures

• Types of roads
• Evaluation of surface condition
• Factors affecting road condition surveys
• Causes of road life depreciation
• Pavement rehabilitation and recycling concepts and practices

Unit 3: Management of Road Maintenance Projects

• Overview of maintenance works
• Road pavement protection
• Maintenance of shoulders and approaches
• Roadside maintenance
• Maintenance of bridges, tunnels, and drainage structures
• Implementation of traffic controls and safety measures
• Management of weather-related issues (snow, ice, sand)

Unit 4: Road Maintenance and Construction

• Pavement condition evaluation
• Approaches for resurfacing pavement
• Work zone management
• Road maintenance program development
• Formulation of maintenance priorities and performance indicators

Unit 5: Formulating a Well-Structured Road Maintenance Plan

• Project design and improvement
• Project strategies and plans
• Realization of project results
• Road surveying
• Road research and feature analysis
• Integration of communication strategies
• Quality improvement in road maintenance
• Preventative maintenance and disaster recovery
• Road rehabilitation and restructuring

Unit 6: Using Engineers’ Tools for Road Maintenance

• Introduction to Lidar systems
• Road inventory with point cloud data capture
• Analysis of big traffic data
• Road safety assessment reports
• Innovations in road design
• Installation of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)