ABSTRACT
Vehicle automation and intelligent infrastructure has the potential to disrupt various traditional operational models in the road pavement construction, maintenance and operations arena. Development of autonomous vehicles, allows for a more predictable and managed operational model of these vehicles. These vehicles require inputs from a host of sensors to make operational decisions. Intelligent pavement infrastructure includes all aspects of the road environment (pavement structure, structures, road furniture and road users) that are monitoring infrastructure condition and behavior and are able to transmit this data to a facility from where it can be accessed by interested road users (drivers, vehicles and system managers) for improved management and use of the infrastructure. In this paper the potential of these combined technologies to disrupt current and traditional road maintenance models specifically is investigated based on maintenance operations of gravel roads. The paper presents preliminary work that is being conducted in South Africa, with certain sub-systems that are already operational, and required linkages between these sub-systems that are discussed.
