Road asset ManageMent Goes Global

InteRVIeW

eURoPean VIeWseURoPean PeRsPectIVes the case for lonG-term road maintenance

MaIntaInIng tHe Road netWoRK is KeY to connectinG eUroPe

FeatURe

neW!

Issue 1, 2014Views and news on the horizon from the european bitumen industry

MAGAZINE

HORIZON - contents2

Contents 2

Intro 3

Feature 4

Interview 8

Info 11

European views 12

Info 17

Spotlight France 18

Spotlight Germany 19

Spotlight UK 20

News & Events 22

Bitumen facts 24

contents

Eurobitume Magazine is published by Eurobitume, the industry association for European bitumen producers. For further information please visit www.eurobitume.eu

Project Management: Eurobitume Promotions Committee

Editor in Chief: Siobhan McKelvey

eecongress2016

Editorial Content: HMPR

www.hmpr.co.uk

Concept & Design: Centigrade Europe

www.centigrade.com

table of contents

Issue 1, 2014Views and news on the horizon from the european bitumen industry

MAGAZINE

3

Welcome to the first edition of the eurobitume Magazine. As the voice of the European bitumen industry, we are at the forefront of many activities that involve communicating industry positions and developments on behalf of our members. This magazine is a new way for the Association to continue to promote bitumen and its uses. There is a wide variety of valuable uses for bituminous materials, including specialised industrial applications such as carpet backing and roofing felts. The properties of bitumen provide a wide range of benefits including noise reduction, waterproofing, insulation and adhesion however, the most recognised bitumen use of all is as the binder used in the asphalt we see on roads.

Eurobitumes core activities are in health, safety, environment, technical, and communications, with our focus over recent years being very much on health and safety. The industrys work in this area continues, to ensure that best practices are widely recognised and to facilitate their swift adaptation in response to any new regulations.

We also recognise the importance of working together with stakeholders on issues collectively affecting users of bitumen as well as producers. Our aim is that this new magazine will enhance our communication with a broadening audience.

Already mentioned above, bitumen plays an important role in roads. This first issue of the Eurobitume magazine therefore addresses a topic that touches all of our lives across Europe: the challenging economic situation and its impact on our road networks. These are vital to achieving economic growth, as the Feature article makes abundantly clear. Examples of approaches emerging in different countries to improve the efficiency of road maintenance and the way it is funded can also be found in the following pages. As our industry horizon changes, Eurobitume magazine will reflect developments and keep you informed of best practices, new regulations, and forthcoming events, as well as raising the awareness of important issues common to us all across Europe. I hope that you find the read both interesting and informative. Your views, and thoughts about what you might like to see in future issues, are more than welcome..

Aim XhonneuxDirector GeneralEurobitume

IntRo

eurobitume magazine - intro

MaIntaInIng tHe Road netWoRK is KeY to connectinG eUroPe

FeatURe

The European Union is reinforcing its Connecting Europe push for a comprehensive and integrated transport network to form the backbone of the single market. The new trans-European transport (TEN-T) programme came into operation at the beginning of 2014, backed by funding from the EU budget, with the further possibility of loans for projects from the European Investment Bank.

The road sector, notably the European Union Road Federation and the World Road Association, is also highly active in raising awareness of the need to ensure proper maintenance of a fully functioning road network, especially in Western Europe where much of the infrastructure was constructed 40 to 50 years ago and is reaching the end of their intended/serviceable life.

In general terms, the new policy aims to close gaps, particularly at frontiers between national transport networks by constructing missing cross-border connections, removing bottlenecks and promoting integration and interoperability between different forms of transport. The legislation establishing the network identifies nine core corridors, with primary objectives to be completed by 2030, and others by 2050. For each of these, work plans must be drawn up by 22 December 2014 assessing the current status of the infrastructure, setting a schedule for removing different kinds of bottlenecks and identifying possible sources of finance.

While the major emphasis is on maritime transport, inland waterways and rail, high quality roads also feature prominently in the TEN-T programme, particularly in improving approaches to ports and other forms of transport, as EU support for the A11 motorway scheme in Belgium demonstrates.

high quality roads feature prominently in the ten-t programme

Financing transport infrastructure for growthThe TEN-T programme is backed by EU funding worth 26.250 billion for 2014-2020 from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). This initial capital is intended to attract new sources of private financing to complement the limited public funds available.

It is available either to invest in equity or as a guarantee. For instance, in the earlier 2007-2013 financing period, equity investment was made in Spains Autova Arlanzon motorway.

CEF support is also available for projects with identifiable revenue streams or commercial benefits and long-term repayment such as toll motorways and shadow tolling.

Another source of financing comes from the European Investment Bank (EIB) which has been highly active in supporting transport infrastructure, providing more than 15.1 billion for investment in roads across Europe between 2009 and 2013.

It is currently operating a pilot phase of the EU-EIB project bond initiative, which has been allocated 230 million. This has been designed to stimulate capital market financing for large scale transport, energy and information and communication technology infrastructure. EIB involvement provides different parties in a project with a strong institutional guarantee and a high degree of leverage, since each Euro it lends supports 3 of subordinated debt and 15 of senior debt, leading to total investment of 19.

One of the first projects the EIB board of directors approved under the scheme was construction of a new 12km long link on the A11 between Bruges and Westkapelle in Belgium. This will provide a direct motorway connection between the port of Zeebrugge and the European motorway network, removing congestion and delays on the heavily used route.

This four-year project is being financed by 587 million of project bonds, with the EIB providing a subordinated credit facility of 115 million. This has improved the credit rating of the bonds by three notches, to A3, according to the rating agency Moodys.

eib supported projects feature a responsibility to design, build, finance and maintain

As Europe gears up to stimulate economic growth through improving transport infrastructure, asset management for road networks is highlighted as a crucial means of efficiently identifying the longer term funding needed for maintaining these most valuable assets.

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To date, nine projects in six different EU countries have been approved and more, possibly including roads, could be given the green light before the deadline for approvals at the end of the year. One special feature of EIB support is that promoters have a responsibility to design, build, finance and maintain the infrastructure. Funding from the EU budget does not currently stipulate the all-important need for maintenance, which is where the discipline of asset management plays its most significant part.

Road asset managementA prominent role in placing road maintenance on the political agenda is being played by the Brussels-based European Union Road Federation (ERF). Two years ago, it set up a road asset management working group to establish the value of the European road network and demonstrate to road owners and decision makers that roads are a major European asset.

We asked authorities how much investment they put into maintenance and very few of them knew. Nor did many have an idea of the value of their asset. Our main objective is to inform and to plead for use of our road asset principles, explains Christophe Nicodme, ERF director general.

The result was the publication in June of a road asset management position paper which highlighted the importance of roads to one of the European Unions primary goals: greater competitiveness. Time, reliability and costs of transport have an impact on productivity. On-time delivery and free traffic flow, without the hindrance of congestion are essential factors, it points out, adding that congestion may not only be due to a lack of capacity, but also to increasing backlogs in maintenance. If the situation deteriorates drastically, this can generate the need for urgent, unplanned repairs which can create major obstacles, such as the closure of bridges to heavy goods vehicle traffic for months or years, it warns.

urgent unplanned repairs can create major obstacles

The ERF also presents a wider argument noting that spending on new or existing roads is an investment in the capital stock of society. Investing in schools is required to educate people; similarly, investing in transport infrastructure is necessary to enable production and trade of goods and services, as well as to provide citizens with mobility, it argues.

Using OECD data, the ERF found that in absolute terms, without considering increasing costs of road works, the amount of money invested in road infrastructure, and its maintenance, had declined significantly since 2008. The consequences are not only a deteriorating infrastructure, but higher operating costs and greater safety risks for road users. The report notes that over half of highway fatalities in the US are related to deficient roadway conditions considerably more than drunk driving, speeding or non-use of safety belts.

The ERF has devised a Road Asset Management plan. It contains a series of factors to be considered to encourage administrators and decision makers to plan on the basis of long-term decisions, rather than on an annual budgetary cycle, to optimise maintenance while keeping costs as low as possible.

This advises those involved to establish a complete inventory of the relevant road network and its current condition, estimate the value of the asset, predict future traffic and service demands, estimate maintenance needs and costs, set priority objectives and define funding scenarios to ensure regular and timely maintenance.

best use of the money available is to prioritise maintenance

As national authorities come to terms with budget restraints, the ERF firmly believes, Mr Nicodme explains, that the way to make best use of the money available is to prioritise maintenance and develop a better understanding of what the situation is. While the target audience for the maintenance arguments is largely national, the ERF will present the report to European parliamentarians later this year.

european Roads

- 5.5 million kilometre network- 66,700 kilometres of motorway- Carry 70+ percent of European inland freight- Account for 83% of passenger travel- Reconstruction value of network: 8,000 billion

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chronic under-investmentThe calls for more priority to be given to road maintenance come as the growth in demand in passenger and freight by road is being accompanied by a fall in infrastructure investment. EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas warned of the consequences at the IRU-EU road transport conference in Vilnius last year. He pointed out that in 1975 investment in inland transport stood at 1.5% of GDP. By 2008, it had fallen below 0.8% and last year, for the first time, China spent more on roads than the EU does.

Maintenance budgets and infrastructure quality across the EU have diminished. Todays public budgets are unable to keep transport infrastructure maintained. This is not only at odds with our Connecting Europe philosophy, it is also a matter of life and death as the state of repair of the EUs roads has a direct bearing on road safety, he said.

Increasingly, warning bells are being rung. In Germany, the Daehre Commission estimated that an additional 2.5 billion to current expenditure should be spent annually to stabilise the condition of inter-urban road infrastructure. Of this, 1.5 billion should be for regular maintenance and 1 billion for handling the backlog of repairs. Under-investment in the maintenance of the main motorway and expressway network alone is estimated at 0.8 billion a year.

1 billion a year needed for handling the backlog of repairs in Germany

In the UK, a McKinsey report published in 2011 concluded that over the next 20 years, there would be a shortfall of 4.89 billion per year to adequately maintain and complete the road network. As it is, the average length of time before main roads are resurfaced in England is 33 years, according to the Asphalt Industry Alliance, considerably more than the 10 to 20 year timetable considered as ideal for resurfacing.

It is not only in Western Europe that the problem is becoming more acute. A 2012 study by Ernst & Young found that between

2008 and 2010 expenditure on maintaining national roads in Poland covered only 62% of the needs.

The problem is recognised by road users. A public survey by Ricardo-AEA in 2012 found that less than 40% of those questioned considered road infrastructure was well maintained. A huge 96% wanted secure funds dedicated to maintaining transport infrastructure and 70% agreed that road users should bear the costs involved.

The impact of insufficient attention to maintenance takes time to filter through, but can prove costly in the long run. The Daehre Commission estimated that delaying maintenance works on motorways increased long term repair costs by some 20% since the damage left unrepaired becomes more severe and more costly to repair. The ERF points out that if timely maintenance is not carried out, reconstruction could be needed. They estimate that for each Euro not spent on preventive road maintenance, road users face three Euros from additional transport costs and road authorities four Euros from higher reconstruction costs.

The disadvantages of a deteriorating road network are tangible. Perhaps the most visible are increased journey times and costs for users. The recent closure of a bridge on the A1 motorway over the Rhine is estimated to have cost each haulage company active in the region an average of 17,000 per day from delays and detours.

Funding sustainable road infrastructure is clearly not just about design and build costs: asset management, and the potential cost of ignoring it, is a critical element.

In FocUs

- Road network is critical to the Connecting Europe growth strategy

- Western European road infrastructure now mature and need for maintenance is widespread

- Investment halved since 2008, threatening economic growth and road safety

- Additional 2.5 billion p.a. needed to increase maintenance and reduce backlog

- Lack of maintenance leads to costs 3 x higher for road users and 4 x higher for road owners

- Asset management the key to more efficient funding and long term decision-making

eurobitume magazine - featUre

When the World Road Association PIARC was formed in 1909 the focus of the day was simply the need to provide infrastructure for motor vehicles. Today, that focus has developed considerably, with access to safe, environmentally-friendly and sustainable mobility for all being the driving issues of the associations work.

The Association is now moving into new territory by tackling the important topic of asset management as it applies to road infrastructure. While asset management is hardly a new discipline, economic downturn has driven its evolution into a sophisticated and comprehensive tool that infrastructure owners are keen to hone to perfection.

To this end, explains Jean-Franois Cort, the World Road Association is putting the finishing touches to a significant report expected to be published around the same time as this first issue of Eurobitume Magazine.

solid evidence to support decision-making discussionsWe are targeting senior decision-makers, says Mr Corte. So the aim of this report is to present some evidence and statistics that we can use in discussions with politicians. This will be the first of its kind and we might produce more strategic papers in the future, he explains.

the aim of this report is to present evidence and statistics we can use in discussion with politicians

It is clear that, in themselves, roads represent a huge public asset. In fact, the road network is usually the primary public asset in most countries, but simply talking about the principle of preserving those assets is not enough to make the case. Demonstrating how bad conditions have a significant impact on the economy and social benefits, chimes much better with the public and politicians, he adds.

Until now there have been limited attempts to understand and quantify the importance of the condition of the road network for the economy as a whole. Mr Cort points to a recent study commissioned by Transport Scotland which sought to quantify the impact of real cuts in road maintenance budgets. This concluded that for every Euro saved in government spending in this area, there would be considerable disbenefits of 1.67 for local roads and 1.12 for strategic roads.

Entitled The Importance of Road Transport, the forthcoming World Road Association PIARC report emphasises the role of roads as key national assets underpinning economic activity

Road asset ManageMent Goes Global

Eurobitume Magazine talks to Jean-Franois Cort, Secretary General of the World Road Association PIARC, which is helping to drive the global move to adopt asset management principles when it comes to maintaining road infrastructure.

Founded in France over a century ago as the Permanent International Association of Road Congresses (PIARC), the World Road Association is a leading international forum for analysis and discussion of roads and road transport related issues. Its members include national governments and regional authorities as well as representative organisations and individuals. Operating from its secretariat in Paris, the association has 17 technical committees that inform its strategically themed work and it is represented by national committees in no less than 37 of its member countries.

InteRVIeW

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and makes the case that the impact of road maintenance is diverse and brings widespread benefits. It confirms that timely investment not only preserves current assets but also saves future costs. Also, it advocates a long term vision based on a clear strategy that allows for savings in the long term and underlines the critical need for maintenance and investment to be properly managed. Given the associations worldwide membership, the report aims to be relevant for all kinds of conditions and countries.

advocates a long term vision based on a clear strategy that allows for savings in the long term

Mr Cort believes that several factors are helping to drive road maintenance up the agenda globally. The first is the visible wear and tear on the existing network, particularly in countries which expanded their infrastructure in the 1960s and 70s. Because of a failure in the past to take a long term view of the needs and state of the network, problems are now appearing which are more acute than 20 years ago.

The second is the fact that several countries now have rather mature networks and road infrastructure. There is less need to construct new stretches of road. So, there is a shift in thinking towards improving and make the best of existing infrastructure and making its operation more efficient, Mr Cort explains.

The third imperative is financial. What is clear, especially after the last four to five years of the financial crisis, is that budgetary constraints on most member countries have become heavier. Now, owners and road administrations are paying more attention to issues such as the evolution of

the condition of the network and use of the limited resources given to them. So, you see more attention being given to maintenance, he says.

Recognising the need for longer term thinkingThe Secretary General insists that money is just one issue to be taken into account and he argues strongly for short-term budgetary practices to be replaced by more forward thinking.

We need to be more efficient, introducing new ways in managing the assets and really having a medium to long term view. If you dont have a view of what might happen in five to 10 years, and how the conditions of your assets may change during that time, then honestly you are in a fog and cannot properly define an efficient strategy. Many countries have not had these tools up until now and were not attempting to make these kinds of forecasts.

He stresses the point that they were simply managing year to year, being reluctant to look at what was likely to happen in five years time when they themselves were living with budget decisions made annually and based on historical references.

To illustrate the point he refers to Japan, which foresees a major challenge in repairing or replacing bridges able to withstand earthquakes as well as normal wear and tear, since in 20 years from now most of them will be 50 to 100 years old. This major challenge is simply forcing the authorities to plan ahead for the next decade or two.

As part of his belief that current practices must change, Mr Cort suggests that more thought should be given to the contracts which involve the private sector in road maintenance and asset management. Efficiency and quality of the work performed are to some extent determined by the type of contract used. As such, he can envisage greater use of multiple-year and performance-based contracts in the future a trend he can already identify elsewhere in the world, such as Australia and Latin America.

Web-based asset ManageMent toolWeb-based asset management toolThe Associations technical work on road asset management, focussing on the approaches and tools used in different countries, continues alongside its latest initiative aimed at policy makers. The relevant technical committee is currently involved in a larger than usual project by

developing a road asset management manual.Work is still at an early stage and may not be completed until next year. The aim is to create a manual as a web resource providing authorised references and examples of good practice.

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0.00

0.25

0.50

0.75

Italian Passenger Miles Travelled on RoadsVersus Maintenance Expenditure

MAINTENANCEEXPIDENTURE(% of GDP)

PASSENGER MILES TRAVELLED ONROADS (MILLIONS)

demand for roads increases while spend on maintaining them decreases!

- This shows how passenger miles travelled (road use) increased over time while maintenance expenditure went down.

- Italian roads are perceived low in quality, yet maintenance spend is going down and demand is rising.

10000

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3

20000

30000

40000

50000

Regi

nal G

DP (M

illion

EUR

)

Motorway Network Density (km Motorway / km2 Land)

The relationship betweenMotorway Network Density and Regional GDP

roads are important to economic prosperity

we need to maintain these valuable assets

- This shows the importance of roads to economic prosperity.

- Regions with higher motorway network density have higher regional GDP.

- 1% greater motorway network density (km per km2 land) is associated with 0.12% greater regional GDP.

- This highlights the importance of the asset and the need to maintain it.

InFo

eurobitume magazine - info

eURoPean PeRsPectIVes on the need for road maintenance

eURoPean VIeWs

Most, if not all, European countries are in a similar position in relation to management of their road networks. There are differences in the solutions they develop to achieve their needs, whether in terms of funding or in the use of materials, technologies, and methodologies. Fundamentally, though, there is a common need to find the best ways of helping them maintain their countries largest and most valuable assets with limited funds.

Across Europe, road owners and operators are tackling the twinned challenges of securing greater financial resources and making the money that is available go further. Many of their political masters are becoming more aware of the vital role that infrastructure plays in promoting economic growth. A key message from industry is that maintaining existing road assets in a safe and serviceable state is equally as vital.

Nowhere is the problem more acute than in Spain, which in 2007 was second only to Germany in Europe for quantity of bituminous mixes produced, at 50 million tonnes. By 2013, Spains asphalt association ASEFMA recorded this as having dropped by over 70% to 13m tonnes, indicating a dramatic reduction in road works that could cause problems for a country with a network of some 700,000 km.

Politicians face stark choices, says the Executive Director of the International Bitumen Emulsion Federation, Etienne le Bouteiller. Either put more money on the table or decide how best to prioritise use of the money that is available, he says. The latter option might involve closing some roads. It could be as simple as that, le Bouteiller says.

road users should be active in demanding their right

Everybody has a role to play in the debate on how to manage Europes roads, including industry and the road owners who can optimise use of resources. Road users should be active in demanding their right to use roads that are in a safe and serviceable condition. Politicians must take responsibility for important decisions on what action to take, says le Bouteiller.

Prevention better than cureIn Spain, the important message to press is the need for preventative rather than reactive maintenance, says the Executive President of ASEFMA, Juan Potti. He points out that extreme cutbacks in road maintenance funding have led to high

level national discussion on the consequences of poor road condition for civilian life.

We have a situation now where government administrations are getting very concerned about the effects of such a dramatic and unacceptable drop in road maintenance. Now is the time to do the right thing about this problem.

It is necessary to link the size of the road maintenance effort with the length of the network by law, and it is vital that we change this approach.

Administrations try to determine whats needed in reaction to deteriorating road condition on an annual basis, which Potti says is not a good approach. Only a planned preventative method will ensure that the money is spent wisely; reactive maintenance may appear less costly at the outset, but it costs more in the long term, he adds.

Potti cites the work of toll road operators such as Spains Abertis as an example of the desired approach. Abertis manages 1,500km of toll roads, with investment in maintenance planned to protect the longevity of road condition.

collecting and sharing dataRobust network data is the goal in Germany, where it is hoped that positive and proactive Government intervention will follow fulfillment of a federal infrastructure survey. This was promised at the formation of a new German coalition Government at the end of 2013.

The survey will provide full inventory and condition data for infrastructure at federal and state levels, including roads, railways and inland waterways. The full report is due in 12 months to two years time and is expected to then be repeated at two year intervals.

We should see a big step forward in decision making once such a survey is available for parliamentarians and the public, says Director Stefan Gerwens of the German road federation Pro Mobilitt.

It is not known at this stage precisely what information will be included in the German infrastructure survey. Pro Mobilitt has lobbied government for such a survey for a number of years along with its counterparts in other sectors and the German confederation for business Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie.

In 2009, this group of organisations published a report on inherent weaknesses in current reporting of German infrastructure, with advice on elemental areas for the new survey to cover. Essentially, this should reveal a full picture of the current and historic situation with regard to the funding and condition of infrastructure, its capacity, safety and environmental impact. The survey should also give areas for future action and intervention, the report says.

Funding the maintenance of road networks has become one of Europes big challenges, and one which is being addressed successfully in several countries or regions. Experts from some of them discuss their approaches, which clearly have some common themes.

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We have a good feel for what is likely to be in the full survey report in one to two years time, but to keep this survey a high priority and to raise public awareness of its importance, we are publishing our own interim report on road condition for publication on-line this summer, Gerwens says. It is usually the case that there is little information published publicly on the condition and funding of infrastructure. A comprehensive survey made available to all should improve the quality of decision making, Gerwens adds. It also presents advantages for the management of road networks.

greater public awareness should lead to policy changes

The survey will show that the condition and longevity of roads is a lot more complex than just filling of potholes, Gerwens says. Greater public awareness should lead to policy changes in favour of maintaining roads in good condition and once this happens at federal level, it should follow at state and lower levels as well.

Greater dissemination of data, particularly sharing of best practice, is one of the key aims of the Highway Maintenance Efficiency Programme (HMEP). This is a British Government sponsored transformational change programme that has been running for four years.

HMEP was initiated by the Department for Transport (DfT) for the highways sector to achieve value for money and efficiencies in highways maintenance.

The initiative came partly in response to concerted campaigning by industry and partly in recognition of a need for stronger leadership. One of the main elements of HMEP is its drive to promote adoption of sound principles of asset management, which had previously been taken up in a limited number of locations but have now become considerably more widespread.

sector specific asset management advice enables local authorities to achieve a more structured long term approach

We recognise that meeting the challenge of maintaining local roads to meet tomorrows needs as well as todays is vital to our economic well-being. The question we asked was how do we support the sector to be more transformational, to meet the challenge of doing more for less and keeping pace with future demand? says DfT Local Directorate and HMEP Programme Manager, Haydn Davies.

DfTs view is that asset management promotes a business-like way of managing highways, which involves taking a long term view of assets in a structured way. This gives decision makers confidence to take current and future planned maintenance decisions. Many local councils understand the potential benefits of good asset management, but often cite a lack of resources as the main reason for not adopting good practice, resulting in a short term, reactive approach being used.

HMEP has built on existing experience and guidance to develop sector-specific asset management advice, enabling local authorities to achieve a more structured long-term approach to maintaining their networks, and so resist expensive, short-term actions.

long term visionSimilarly, a long term view has been taken to overcome the problem of insufficient road maintenance funding in Denmark. The initiative here, though, has been taken by municipal highway authorities, some of which have set up contracts of up to 15 years in duration with road maintenance contractors.

contractor takes onus on 15-year contracts

one recent example of good practice in highway asset management now disseminated widely via hmeP is that of blackpool council in the north west of england. blackpools highway asset management plan was used to present a business plan that secured 30m through low cost prudential borrowing for investment in carriageway improvements.

the plan was formulated from the councils own regime of carriageway and footway treatment surveys, which is based upon standard visual inspections of road condition. it covers 100% of blackpools road network, instead of the 25% normal for such surveys in england.

Pavement condition data was calibrated and categorised, with the information plotted on an electronic geographic information system (Gis) to give a visual representation. information included on the Gis included the approximate period expected before an intervention would be needed and the type and cost of treatment that would restore the pavement.

this improvement work is now underway with the majority of blackpools roads being treated with a range of different road surfacing techniques. the council has estimated a saving of around 100m over 25 years will come from a resulting long term reduction in annual maintenance costs and from fewer compensation payouts to people affected by defects in pavements.

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The fundamental principle of these deals has the contractor funding and carrying out a required amount of road improvement work to bring the overall condition of the municipalitys roads to a desired standard. The contractor is then paid to maintain the roads in a safe and serviceable condition for the duration of the contract.

This initiative began slowly. Just one or two Danish authorities piloted the principles of these contracts at first, but similar deals have since been signed by at least seven Danish municipal authorities.

The Finnish contractor Lemminkainen holds a number of long term contracts in Denmark. As laboratory manager for the company, Lotte Josephsen has helped to draw up the specific road condition requirements of these maintenance arrangements.

The pace of procurement of long term contracts had slowed in recent years but is now accelerating again. We expect more to be let in approaching years, Josephsen says.

road conditions improve within the first two to four years

Essentially what shows these contracts to be best practice is the fact that municipal roads are otherwise usually in a very poor condition. Now they are made a lot better within the first two to four years of the contract. The authority does not have to pay a lot up front, because it effectively borrows from the contractor, and the client is then committed to a regular payment to keep its roads at a good condition.

Historically, some Danish municipalities have been less positive towards this long term contract initiative. Concerns include unease over the transfer of responsibility for road condition to contractors, partly because the payment terms of these deals are based only on surface condition, Josephsen says. Some have expressed concern over the risk of receiving a road network in a poor condition at the end of the contract term.

Civil engineer Steen Larsen, Head of Road Maintenance for the city of Odense, has worked with long term contract arrangements at four separate Danish cities.

These contracts work, he says. Many other cities have networks in very poor condition. Politicians are not providing the necessary funds to maintain them, but with this solution the contractors can be the bank.

We get the quality we want. Every year a third party reviews the condition of the roads to ensure the terms of the contract are being met. Were able to set the standard we expect for the whole duration of the contract, and at the end we get a network of roads in a better condition than when we started.

While this initiative can be seen to have succeeded in places, it is by no means a panacea for shortages in road maintenance funding. Other municipalities in Denmark can be seen to be considering long term contracts of their own, Larsen says, because they simply do not have the funds they need, and there are other regional and national networks in the same position.

Meanwhile across Europe the challenge continues

eurobitume magazine - eUroPean VieWs

Road experts Join ForcesThe French road network has long been a source of pride, as one of the best in the world in terms of density and quality of service to users. Like many others, the country is now starting to worry about its condition and wonder about its future. Road community experts have joined efforts to optimise its maintenance.

Today, all over the country, the lack of maintenance afflicting the French road network has become a source of alarm. Mainstream media are regularly voicing the protests of motorists and especially bikers associations, which are particularly sensitive to the state of the roads. Watch Out for Potholes! The Motorists and Bikers Worst Nightmare read a recent headline in Le Parisien (18 February 2013).

The first to worry, even before the first symptoms became apparent, were no doubt the road contractors, who saw their order book becoming increasingly slim over recent years: fewer new projects, which was to be expected for a country whose network reached maturity after thirty years of building highways, bypasses of urban agglomerations and other dual carriageway enlargements; but also less maintenance works, less wearing course resurfacing and less rework of existing structures.

accumulating costsWe cannot say that the French road network is poorly maintained, reassures us Christian Gonson, Chairman of the Association of Directors of Departmental Technical Services (ADSTD) and Deputy Managing Director of the Essonne Regional Council. However, according to some experts, a lag of about M 350 to M 500/year for the entire network has been accumulating each year, like a hidden debt! Members of ADSTD are well aware of the concerns of administrators of regional road networks: constrained by shrinking budgets since 2008, they no longer receive the aid of

the government-funded Scientific and Technical Network (RST) after the latest decentralisation episode of 2004 and the transfer of 18,000 km of national roads to the regional departments.

Prioritising Preventative MaintenanceTechnical experts realise that the consequences of poor road maintenance, long invisible to non-specialists, always end up causing great damage to the structural integrity and may become catastrophic in terms of costs (see graph, below). This is why, noting the situation with concern, they are warning elected officials and actively seeking ways to optimise the use of available financial resources.

EXTRACT The following excerpt is translated from an article in bitumen.info, Autumn 2013 issue, which is published by GPB (the French bitumen industry association). The extract highlights how challenges experienced elsewhere in Europe are reflected in France.

this diagram shows the financial effort in road maintenance required to keep a road in good condition. Without maintenance, on average, road wear over a 15-year period (75% of its lifespan), is 40%, followed by another 40% over the next 4 years (12% of its lifespan). this clearly highlights the non-linear pattern of deterioration, which proceeds at an accelerated rate after the occurrence of the first cracks.

in addition, at constant maintenance of index 1, the road, initially in excellent condition, is kept in good condition over the entire studied period of 25 years. otherwise, the maintenance required to recover an acceptable level of service will be 2 to 20 times more expensive, depending when the intervention is performed.

Falling Apart

Bad

Poor

Average

Good

Excellent

Road

Con

ditio

n

Road Age

1 5 10 15 20 25

40% wear

40% wear

12% of lifespan

Lesser effort

Intervention: 1

Intervention: 2 to 4 Intervention:

15 to 2075% of lifespan

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In FocUs

- Across Europe many countries share the need to find best ways of making decreasing road maintenance funds go further

- Better communication from road users as well as road authorities encourages policy improvements

- Robust network information is the key to supporting cost-saving asset management measures

- Risk can be removed from long term contracts, which offer more cost efficiency

- A co-ordinated approach and information-sharing between road owners, contractors and users help to accelerate improvements in road condition

Financial effort in road maintenance diagram

* reference source: Usirf and GPb

eurobitume magazine - eUroPean VieWs

Growing Networks, Stagnant Maintenance Spend

Mai

nten

ance

Exp

endi

ture

(as

% o

f GDP

) per

km

of R

oad

Netw

ork

Leng

th

0.010

0.012

0.014

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

while our road networks contiunue to grow the spend on maintenance is not keeping up

- This shows how maintenance expenditure (as % of GDP) is going down per km of road network across the EU.

- While maintenance expenditure as a % of GDP may be constant or even increase, the network growth is outpacing it.

- This shows the importance of local road infrastructure to economic performance.

- Reduced time to travel to employment means more economic opportunity.

better local road infrastructure can improve economic performance

17

InFo

eurobitume magazine - info

EXTRACT This article has been translated from a longer version published in bitume-info, Autumn 2013

www.bitume.info

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tractors and the school bus. Everything must be maintained, but not in the same way.

the Importance of Preventative Maintenance What is the maintenance approach for this vast network, vital to the countrys economic life and to the everyday life of the French population, given its physical diversity, its different significance in terms of traffic and its different levels of service? The road community, public services and private businesses have joined forces in an effort to define maintenance strategies that make optimum use of the technical and budgetary resources to protect the road assets by drawing upon past experience as well as the latest industry knowledge.

Foundations of Road Maintenance in the Light of 50 Years Experience was the title of the presentation of Pascal Rossigny of SETRA, at the IDRRIM Conference in October 2012, Lyon, summarising a series of presentations at CoTITA conferences throughout France.

The awareness of the importance of preventative maintenance dates back to the winter of 1962-1963, the most severe winter in half a century, which caused substantial damage. It then took another 20 years of coordinated work to strengthen the national road network, protect it from the frost and enable it to withstand the explosive growth of heavy vehicle traffic, explains Pascal Rossigny.

We have learned quite a few important lessons, including that sound intervention requires an in-depth knowledge of the network and adaptation to the traffic. We also learned that maintenance should be preventative, starting with preservation of the sealing of surface layers to prevent damage to the structure, for which we will pay dearly later on. (For more information on preventative maintenance options see the download of the full article.)

As explained by many participants, the answer to these questions has an essential prerequisite, which is knowledge of the networks: their geography, their traffic, their structure, their condition, their function, their value, etc. By promoting the Qualitative Assessment of National Roads (IQRN) and the Qualitative Assessment of Works of Art (IQOA), the Government is seeking to define objective indicators that reflect the state of the publicly-managed road network infrastructures.

However, this network, with an estimated value of 250 billion, which accounts for 30% of the heavy vehicle traffic, represents only 2% of the length of the entire network (respectively 20,000 km out of 1,000,000 km, including about 600,000 km of local roads and 380,000 km of regional roads). After you deduct 20,000 km from 1 million kilometres, you are still left with 1 million, commented Jean-Baptiste de Prmare, Delegate-General of USIRF (Union of French Road Industry Associations). This million kilometres includes both major high traffic regional roads serving as interurban links, as well as secondary roads used for daily local commuting, or local roads with just a handful of vehicles passing each day, including the inevitable farm

At the conference of the Institute for Roads, Streets and Mobility Infrastructure (IDRRIM) devoted to the maintenance of road assets, held in Lyon in October 2012, the first question raised by organisers was How can we control maintenance costs? and the second was What technical solutions should we adopt?.

netWoRK KnoWledge informs maintenance cost control

sPotlIgHtFRance

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According to the German Road and Transportation Research Association (FGSV), the increasing burden on an ageing road network will inevitably lead to further deterioration in condition. To withstand future traffic requirements there is a need to reconstruct a large part of the network within the foreseeable future. The cost of this will not be insignificant, considering the estimate calculated by the Daehre Commission of 2,5 billion per annum needed over the course of 15 years just to counteract previous under financing.

Indeed, the IMF recommends stronger public investment in the countrys transport infrastructure than currently proposed by its government, describing Germany as an anchor of regional stability and pointing out that such investment is fiscally feasible. The recommendation is for additional investment of up to 0.5 per cent of GDP over four years that would yield a persistent increase in GDP as well as stimulating growth across Europe.

In FocUs

- Investment is needed in the construction and maintenance of Germanys road infrastructure to meet the federal, regional and municipal need for growth of the German economy

- More constant levels of investment would allow better planning and reliability of works in the network

- Budget over several years for technical and economical efficiency.

The German recovery is expected to gain further momentum and keep outpacing that in the rest of the euro area, stated the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently. With an economy powered by the export of high-quality industrial goods, Germanys financial success and growth depends heavily on efficient transportation. Yet, according to Pro Mobilitt, an association that campaigns for safe and sustainable road transport networks, over the last 14 years, Germanys investment in its road network has been below the European average.

Not only does this place the reliability and safety of journeys at risk, it is a policy that needs to change in order to support the substantial increase in traffic that the countrys increased production output will generate. According to German Ministry for Transportation and Digital Infrastructure forecasts for 2030, while passenger transport is expected to remain more or less static, goods traffic is anticipated to grow by a massive 39 per cent. This is a concern when over half of German companies already report disruption to their businesses as a result of inadequate road infrastructure.

Much reported in the media, the poor condition of the network has generated considerable discussion among both transport experts and the local communities who depend on it, with the conclusion that capacity has clearly been exceeded.

Politically and geographically at the heart of Europe, Germany has a road network that is perhaps even more vital to economic growth and connectivity than some of its neighbours, argue some of its transport experts. Under-funding of its maintenance in the past has led to an urgent need for investment if the country is to achieve successful growth.

call FoR URgent InVestMent in German roads

sPotlIgHtgeRManY

eurobitume magazine - sPotliGht GermanY

- The 2014 ALARM Survey report is downloadable from www.asphaltuk.org

- The full LGA report: Investing in Our Nations Future: the first 100 days of the next government is downloadable from www.local.gov.uk/100days

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cost effective than reactive patch and mend are now widely understood. The estimated cost of returning the local network to a reasonable condition is one of the key benchmark figures that has helped to make the case for increased investment. In 2014 this estimate rose to 12 billion, from 10.5 billion in 2013.

Pushing maintenance up the political agendaPublic feedback to politicians, not least when they are campaigning for votes in their local constituencies, has also pushed the issue of road maintenance up the national political agenda. A cross party group of Members of Parliament and of the House of Lords, which is supported by the AIA, was formed to look at ways of addressing the issue. In autumn 2013, this All Party Parliamentary Group published a report, Managing a valuable asset: improving local road condition, that recommended making highway asset management plans mandatory to enable more efficient use of central government funding.

In the meantime, many organisations and commercial companies have also used data from the survey to support their own messages or campaigns. The countrys forthcoming General Election, in May 2015, is now focussing political minds, and the Local Government Association (LGA) has recently launched a campaign, setting out what it would like to see a new government achieve within its first 100 days of office.

One of its recommendations is for the government to include an injection of 1 billion a year into the local road maintenance programme in its first Budget. The LGA argues that this could be financed by investing 2p a litre from the existing fuel duty paid by drivers. Whether this is a workable solution or not, the case for additional funding is well illustrated in the LGAs report which draws on statistics from the latest ALARM Survey (see opposite).

It has become widely recognised as an invaluable benchmark for local road condition by both local authorities (whose highway departments participate in the survey) and the Department for Transport (DfT), which is responsible for the allocation of central government funding for local roads. Indeed, the DfT now uses the survey as a vehicle for some questions of its own, related to the drive for efficiency that it launched in April 2011.

Over the years, a concerted media campaign has raised public awareness of the reasons for deteriorating road condition and the means by which it could be improved. Consistent messages conveyed by the survey results such as how planned, preventative maintenance is 20 times more

planned, preventative maintenance 20 times more cost effective than reactive

In the UK, locally managed roads make up 98 per cent of the road network, which as long as 20 years ago was considered by many to be in deteriorating condition. At that time, the initiative was taken to make an independent assessment of road condition and the efficiency of funding for local road maintenance, using information directly from local highways departments. This was the start of the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) Survey, which has since built a high profile in both media and public awareness, prompting widespread comment and debate when it is launched every Spring. Since 2000 the survey has been published by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) formed by the Refined Bitumen Association and the Mineral Products Association.

RaIsIng aWaReness of local road maintenance needs

sPotlIgHtUK

eurobitume magazine - sPotliGht UK

Road to RUIn?

source: alarm survey*england, Wales and london, all other figures are england excluding londonreproduced from the 100 days campaign, by the kind permission of the local Government association

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e&e 2016 congressThe Eurasphalt and Eurobitume (E&E) congress is a unique event organised every four years since 1996 by the bitumen and asphalt industries in a well-known European city. The congress is used as an important vehicle for these two industries to raise the awareness across a wide scope of industry stakeholders about key drivers in the market environment, best practices and new technologies, and also how the industry is responding with solutions to future challenges.

This is now a proven platform for the bitumen and asphalt industry to work together and showcase how they are contributing through their extensive network of experts.

The E&E 2016 congress will be held in the beautiful historic city of Prague from 1-3 June 2016. The theme chosen for the congress is Investing in our greatest asset. This subject will be discussed over the three days by key professionals from different backgrounds. The event is expected to attract around 1,000 attendees from across Europe and also internationally.

neWs & eVentsWho should be there?

- Governmental decision-makers and Road policy influencers (national and local)

- Road agencies and highway engineers with product or management needs

- Road materials / equipment suppliers and road contractors

- Educational bodies and other related organisations

Why should you be there?

1. Provides a platform for both industry and stakeholders to demonstrate and learn

2. Offers a unique forum for stakeholders to engage, exchange and encourage

3. Participate in important discussions and formulate opinions to prepare for the future

For more information on the programme and recent call for papers (deadline 30th November 2014) please go to the official congress website: www.eecongress2016.org

neWs & eVents

SavE ThE DaTE 1 - 3 JUnE 2016

eurobitume magazine - neWs & eVents

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asphalt advantages campaignThe European bitumen and asphalt industry associations (Eurobitume and EAPA) have joined forces to create a unique platform for promoting the benefits of their products primarily through increased awareness and education about the advantages asphalt products can offer for use in road maintenance and construction. The four areas these advantages will be focussing on are:

COMFORT, SaFETY, SUSTaInaBILTY anD ECOnOMICS.

For more information on the advantages of asphalt please go to: www.asphaltadvantages.com(due to be launched 15th October 2014)

eRF: Road asset ManagementThe European Union Road Federation (ERF) has launched a position paper for maintaining and improving a sustainable and efficient road network.

The Position Paper published June 2014 has been issued as a response to chronic underfinancing of the road infrastructure which is leading to a severe deterioration of the quality of Europes road network and is threatening one of Europes most important community assets. Currently we are experiencing a critical moment whereby a continuation of the status quo and immobility in the field of investments could lead to a permanent and irreversible loss of this important heritage. The risk of compromising this great resource is very real.

To ensure the continued mobility of people and goods across Europe and avoid greater risks for accidents, congestion and noise, it is essential to preserve the road infrastructure and to improve its quality efficiently.

Road asset Management enables political decisions to be based on the level of service expected and deserved by society and highlighting the necessary funding to deliver it.

The document is available online from the ERF website www.erf.be

eVents1. european Mastic asphalt association

IMaa symposium

4 - 5 September 2014 St Petersburg, Russia www.mastic-asphalt.eu

2. german Road and transportation Research association congress (FgsV)

30 September - 2 October 2014 Stuttgart, Germany www.fgsv-kongress.de

3. Interoute & Ville (including IDDRIM congress)

7 - 9 October 2014 Lyon, France www.en.interoute-ville.com

4. asphalt day organised by VbW (bouwend nederland) and eurobitume.

9 December 2014

Amersfoort De Flint, Netherlands www.eurobitume.eu and www.asfaltdag.nl

5. aRbIt symposium 2015 10 - 11 February 2015 Leipzig, Germany www.arbit-symposium.de

6. Pavement Preservation & Recycling summit

22 - 26 February 2015 Paris, France www.pprsparis2015.com

7. eurasphalt & eurobitume 2016 congress

1 - 3 June 2016 Prague, Czech Republic www.eecongress2016.org

eurobitume magazine - neWs & eVents

There is a good reason why most roads in Europe are asphalt: the flexibility offered by the bitumen binder used to produce the asphalt mix provides unique characteristics that makes it the natural choice for road surfacing.

Our roads have to withstand the demands of many influences, not just repeated traffic loadings, but also daily and seasonal changes in climate, and ground movements, all of which impose significant stresses on the pavement. This means that it is important for a road surface to have a degree of flexibility, so that it can withstand different types and scales of stress without being damaged.

This is where bitumens unique viscoelastic properties come into their own. By combining the characteristics of viscous materials (which have a resistance to deformation caused by stress) and those of elastic materials (which return to their original form after stress), it lends the ultimate flexibility to all products using bitumen as a key component.

Fact 1. Viscoelasticity

Bitumen is a viscoelastic material which offers flexibility to the end product. This is a key benefit in its use as a vital constituent of asphalt designed for roads as well as for other applications such as roofing membranes.

bItUMenFacts

bItUMen Facts

Viscosity is a measure of a materials resistance to flow.

a viscous material has a resistance to deformation by stress, the level of viscosity can vary and is most obviously indicated by its degree of thickness.

Water has very low viscosity and flows quickly. a material with a higher viscosity, such as syrup or glue, has more resistance to stress, and flows more slowly.

the viscosity of bitumen also reduces as the temperature increases, enabling bitumen to be handled and applied whilst hot, but recovers its unique properties when the temperature drops again. honey, for example is more fluid when heated, than when it has been in the fridge, and it is easier to stir with a spoon slowly than very fast.

24

In FocUs

- Bitumen is a viscoelastic engineering material

- Products made with viscoelastic materials have good flexibility

- Flexible products are able to cope with different types and degrees of stress

- The effect of stress is reduced by the ability of viscoelastic materials to relax

- viscoelasticity means that a product can be both flexible and strong

Viscoelasticity is the characteristic which makes asphalt roads best able to accommodate the different stresses of the effects of heavy traffic and temperatures from above, and ground movement from below.

the viscous nature of bitumen allows roads to accommodate movements without cracking, whilst the elastic nature allows it to recover from induced stresses without permanently deforming for considerable lengths of time.

the same applies to bituminous materials used in other construction applications,, from roofing membranes to waterproofing layers in reservoirs. bitumens viscoelasticity, or flexibility, means that these products are able to respond to stress by relaxing, without detriment to their other attributes. but its not just the way that bitumen behaves in reaction to stress that has led to it being used extensively in road surfacing materials. all roads inevitably need maintenance, so when the time does come to replace a road surface, the nature of bitumen means that a new asphalt surface can start to perform as soon as the temperature drops to ambient. typically, a new asphalt wearing course reaches full strength within just one day, so a newly surfaced asphalt road can be re-opened safely to traffic in the shortest possible time. and its also the viscoelasticity of bitumen that makes it so easy to recycle asphalt roads.

elastic materials also deform under stress, but once the source of the stress is removed

they return quickly to their original form. a good example being the behaviour of a rubber band.

eurobitume magazine - bitUmen facts