Chapter 17: Maintenance and rehabilitation – asphalt pavements

The maintenance and rehabilitation of any pavement may be generated by one of several forms of inspection and detailed analysis of the condition data, either independently or as part of larger programmed works. The issue dealt with here, primarily, is items of work which, although they have a relatively modest value, nevertheless add up to a programme to maximise efficiency. While the character of the work may vary, the process of inspection and programming will be found to be universal.

In October 2016, the new Well-managed Highways Infrastructure – Code of Practice (Roads Liaison Group, 2016) was published by the Department for Transport (DfT), replacing the well-established previous 2005 code Well-maintained Highways – Code of Practice for Highway Maintenance Management (Roads Liaison Group, 2005). In the 2005 code of practice, inspection (frequency and type/duration) was largely determined by the road category and defects size. On the other hand, the risk-based assessment used in the 2016 code of practice is more comprehensive, promoting an integrated approach to highway asset management based on local needs, priorities and affordability.