4 October 2018 | Rotterdam, The Netherlands
The international programme INFRAVATION concluded with the showcase of the inputs from all projects in search of the next generation infrastructure.
The programme was launched in September 2015 offering EUR 10 million funding pooled by 11 member states and the European Commission. In total, 9 infrastructure projects have developed and deployed several demonstrations of innovative solutions to better maintain roads and bridges.
The ERF has been involved in two projects, HEALROAD and ALTERPAVE, leading the communication and dissemination strategies. Both projects pursued the development of new technologies and materials to tackle various challenges:
- Technical: enhanced durability, resilience and life-time extension
- Economic: reduction of life cycle costs and traffic disruption
- Environmental: resource and energy efficiency, virgin material reduction by substitution or recycling
HEALROAD has focussed on the improvement of the nascent induction heating technique for self-healing asphalts. In parallel, ALTERPAVE has fostered the implementation of the circular economy in the road sector. Both pavements have been proved to offer good performance results in the duraBASt test centre (Cologne, Germany) and in a road with high traffic of heavy vehicles near Milano (Italy).
Inputs from these projects have achieved high TRL levels making them almost prepared for future deployment at European scale. To further develop its commercial exploitation, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water of The Netherlands commissioned the elaboration of a Business Case report which was presented during the event in Rotterdam. At this stage, experts from the Ministry are working on the identification of road sections suitable for the first application of two specific projects: SUREbridge and HEALROAD.
It is expected that first works for its deployment will start during spring and summer 2019.