ABSTRACT
The Norwegian Public Road Administration (NPRA) R&D-program “Durable Roads” focused on quality improvements in road construction. Better quality, e.g. in materials, frost protection and compaction, will contribute to reduced deterioration of the pavement and increased service life. To show the value of constructing roads with better quality and to do R&D, future benefits of the program were estimated. No standardized method regarding estimation of benefits of R&D-projects was found in literature. A generic method for calculation of benefits was therefore developed. The method is used to estimate benefits of improved quality in construction of new roads, strengthening of roads and pavement maintenance. The result is presented as cost savings for the road owner per kilometer two-lane road and as the cost savings for the road network managed by the NPRA. After 15–20 years, annual savings for the NPRA corresponds to about 30% of their annual cost of asphalt paving.
