Below are the first 10 and last 10 pages of uncorrected machine-read text (when available) of this chapter, followed by the top 30 algorithmically extracted key phrases from the chapter as a whole.
Intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text on the opening pages of each chapter.
Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
Do not use for reproduction, copying, pasting, or reading; exclusively for search engines.
OCR for page 3
INTRODUCTION Background
Increasing societal awareness of the environ- Pavement infrastructure is critical to the quality of
mental effects of constructing, operating, and main- life and prosperity of society. As the pavement struc-
taining the highway infrastructure has led to new ture deteriorates over time, proper pavement preser-
demands on transportation agencies to conduct vation and maintenance is necessary to achieve a
their business in a more environmentally friendly, high-performing, safe, and cost-effective pavement
or sustainable, fashion. One key approach is for network for the users. In a society where currently
agencies to implement a pavement preservation resources and funding are limited, it is more impor-
program; restoring pavements that are still in good tant than ever that transportation agencies seek ways
condition and extending their service life. The to use these resources to maximize benefits as part
FHWA considers pavement preservation as a pro- of daily operations. At the same time, attention to the
active approach to maintaining highways. Pavement notion of environmental sustainability has become
preservation and maintenance treatments usually more important to society. In general, environmen-
provide the least expensive pavement manage- tal sustainability has been defined by the Bruntdland
ment strategy available on a life-cycle cost basis Commission as "[meeting] the needs of the present
(FHWA 2005). without compromising the ability of future genera-
This synthesis is directed at benchmarking the cur- tions to meet their own needs" (Bruntdland Commis-
rent state of the practice in usage and quantification of sion 1987). Recently, the FHWA defined sustainable
pavement preservation and maintenance practices in transportation as "providing exceptional mobility and
terms of environmental performance. "Sustainability" access in a manner that meets development needs
in the synthesis refers to promoting environmen- without compromising the quality of life of future
tally friendly practices that also provide technical generations. A sustainable transportation system is
and economic benefits. The seven sustainability safe, healthy, affordable, renewable, operates fairly,
impact factor areas evaluated are virgin material and limits emissions and the use of new and non-
usage, alternative material usage, program for pave- renewable resources" (Harmon 2010). The basis of
ment in-service monitoring and management, noise, environmental sustainability consists of the three
air quality/emissions, water quality, and energy usage elements shown in Figure 1: economy, society, and
and their relationship to typical pavement preserva- environment. Sustainable pavement preservation
tion and maintenance practices. Information in the and maintenance are a subset of sustainable trans-
synthesis examines all pavement types including portation where the impacts of the treatments on the
asphalt, concrete, composite, surface-treated and economy, environment, and social equity are defined
gravel roads, and pavements. and evaluated. It can also be evaluated according to
the technical and economic effectiveness and the
associated impacts on the natural environment (Jeon
Synthesis Objective and Amekudzi 2005). It can be noted that a study of
The objective of this synthesis is to identify and state departments of transportation (DOTs) indicated
synthesize current sustainable pavement preservation
and maintenance practices. The focus is on determin-
ing what the current state of practice is in this area and
also to identify needs for future research. The synthe-
sis identified those agencies that are demonstrating
efforts to quantify environmental performance and
stewardship in maintenance and preservation and
related areas.
To assess the way that environmental sustainabil-
ity relates to pavement maintenance, the methodol-
ogy of this synthesis was to prepare a literature review,
conduct a survey of practitioners and evaluate their
responses, and assemble case studies from several Figure 1 Fundamental sustainability model
exemplary programs. (CH2M Hill 2009).
3
