Objective
The project will assess the climate resilience and economic viability of three global best practice types of road surfacing for use in Low Income Countries to counter the impacts of climate change.

Potential Impact
The uptake of the technologies by road authorities in developing countries.

Study Country
Ethiopia | Malaysia | New Zealand | UK

Research Supplier
University of Birmingham, The University of Auckland, Universiti Purta Malaysia, Ethiopian Roads Authority, International Road Federation
Michael Burrow | Team Leader

Approach
Data on the in-situ performance in New Zealand and Malaysia of these climate resilient road pavement surface types will be collected and analysed using a life cycle analysis approach to assess the suitability of the materials for other climate and under other different traffic loading conditions. A life cycle analysis of the performance of three existing road surface types already in use in New Zealand and Malaysia and via the practical application of the surface types in Ethiopia.

Outcome
The life cycle performance of three road surface types under a variety of traffic and environmental conditions and the constructability of the road surface types.

COVID-19 Response
Following the economic downturn associated with the various degrees of lockdown countries have experienced, investment in infrastructure is often used to provide economic stimulus. Governments also seek to repay debt and make savings elsewhere.

The technologies researched in this project provide such a stimulus and the potential socio-economic benefits resulting from their uptake will in the long run provide life cycle cost benefits to local communities through less expensive transport.