Energy use due to traffic and pavement maintenance
Overview
Background & policy context:
There is a potential to reduce energy use of traffic by performing maintenance measures that lower the rolling resistance. However, the overall aim should be to decrease the total energy use in a life cycle perspective, including energy for both traffic and maintenance. When choosing maintenance alternative, it is also of importance to consider the costs involved. Pavement management is focused on keeping wide spread road networks in acceptable condition given certain budget constraints. Therefore, the economic constraints need to be addressed and in the case of choosing a maintenance alternative that reduces total energy, it also has to be cost-efficient in order for it to be performed.
Objectives:
The main scope of the research presented in this report is to investigate how road management should act to reduce total energy use of roads, including traffic and maintenance induced energy use, while also taking cost efficiency and the aspect of uncertainty into consideration.
The purpose is to enable a better consideration of the total energy used and maintenance cost when managing the road network.
The objective is to derive a meaningful instrument for decision making situations such as when selecting and designing maintenance treatments, in which total energy use and maintenance cost is considered.
Methodology:
A general method is developed and presented. A criterion, CR, has been identified for how to choose a pavement maintenance strategy in regards to cost and energy efficiency. A cost benefit analysis approach using Benefit to Cost Ratio, BCR, has been adopted.
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