ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author presents a systematic knowledge to better understand the effect of digitalization on the structural design of roads and streets. From a design perspective, autonomous vehicles (AV) are a major factor in the digitalization challenge of the future, which will affect the used materials and design approaches for roads. Designing roads that can cater to AVs is important now, because whether the autonomous vehicles are here in five or 20 years, we are designing the roads for at least 30 years. However, there are few research studies that analyze how autonomous vehicles (AV) and other related digital technologies affect the structural design of streets and roads. This chapter highlights how the more channeled traffic load and platooning of AVs could result in a faster accumulation of pavement damage. This is not to say that using of AVs should be stopped, but, in the context of sustainable urban development, this challenge needs to be addressed. The author discussed how to strengthen the road structure to withstand the high future AV traffic volume and proposes three testbeds designed to meet the challenge of future digitalization in terms of using AV.
