Engineers, asset owners and managers, sustainability advisors, policy makers, and government organisations must synergise to shape the future of aging road networks. The maintenance and renewal of the road network represents a challenge for all but there is a solution for resilient and sustainable construction– which is recycling existing pavements using stabilisation.
Industry leaders need to embrace early adoption traits alongside demonstrating risk management capabilities instead of seeking to eradicate risk. Engineers are used to managing risks but need support from asset managers and policymakers to craft frameworks promoting recycling solutions. Sustainability advisors maintain carbon reduction as one of their primary objectives for road network renewal projects and regulatory frameworks should be supported by governments to promote low-carbon materials and processes. Strategic policy must drive this change and facilitate recycling through stabilisation whilst managing risks.
A resilient road network requires bold, forward-thinking decision making including adaptive policies to shape development. The stabilisation industry continues to identify barriers and lobby sectors with the goal of dismantling them to provide a more robust road network. Roadblocks are not isolated to a single sector, they can be found at varying intensities through all disciplines, from funding, construction, maintenance and asset management as examples. The innovators and leaders of each sector need to take a stance and say “Hey, why is recycling and reuse through stabilisation not more widely accepted? Why are sectors struggling to embrace? Why is the funding model not allowing optimisation and betterment, if we can build a more resilient road?” The need for policy updates to drive thinking to challenge funding rules is a small, but critical part of the solution. If all sectors do not embrace this challenge and champion resilient stabilised roads, we are left with a network that will continue to deteriorate, demanding further investment.