Modern road infrastructure asset management faces increasing pressure to improve the quality of decision-making processes, also due to limited public resources. The field of road diagnostics is no exception. The aim of the research is to analyze, through a literature review, the possibilities of applying the theoretical concept of information value. The selected point of interest is the tasks associated with the selection of specific sections intended for inspection, monitoring the level of information gain that this inspection can bring. Methodologically, the research is based on a systematic bibliometric analysis of the literature from the Web of Science and SCOPUS databases for the period January 2010 to June 2025. This is supplemented by a non-systematic content review, while the identified publications were processed by the Bibliometrix and VOSviewer tools and subsequently qualitatively interpreted. The result of the research is a synthesis of knowledge from the finally analyzed set of relevant scientific papers. The findings point to a growing interest in linking the process of planning and performing road infrastructure diagnostics with asset management decision-making processes. At the same time, they point to the development of data-oriented and digital approaches, as well as the limited application of the concept of information value in planning inspections before their implementation. The findings indicate that the assessment of expected information benefit represents a promising tool for reducing uncertainty, determining priorities, and allocating resources more efficiently, while its implementation in road infrastructure management requires further methodological research and practical verification.

Road infrastructure managers are increasingly required to ensure adequate pavement performance under constrained financial resources. This has led to the widespread adoption of asset management principles, where infrastructure is evaluated not only from a technical perspective but also in terms of its economic value and the level of service provided to users. Pavement asset value can be understood as a function of two principal components: structural condition, reflecting the load-bearing capacity of the pavement, and user-related performance, primarily influenced by surface characteristics such as roughness. A key limitation of current approaches lies in the simplified representation of deterioration processes, which often fail to capture the full-life-cycle progression of degradation and may lead to inaccurate predictions of pavement condition, user costs, and optimal intervention timing. This paper proposes an integrated framework that links full-life-cycle pavement deterioration modeling with asset value assessment and decision-making processes. The methodology is based on experimentally validated and empirically supported deterioration models derived from accelerated pavement testing and long-term pavement performance monitoring of real road sections. This approach is demonstrated through a case study, illustrating the interaction between structural condition and user-related performance. The results demonstrate how a deterioration model derived from full-life-cycle observations can be incorporated into economic evaluation and resource-allocation processes in pavement management systems.

The paper analyses the impact of recycled geogrid fibres on the mechanical and physical properties of asphalt concrete. Survey results indicate that the knowledge in this area is very limited. The presence of geogrid fibres from milling is an increasingly common challenge for the design of new pavements from asphalt mixtures containing recycled asphalt pavement. The adopted research procedure provided for the selection and optimisation of the content of recycled glass and carbon geogrids added to the asphalt mixture. Two reference asphalt concrete mixtures for the binder course were designed: AC 16W 35/50 KR3-4 and AC 22W 35/50 KR3-4. The research process was controlled using a factorial experiment design, including two qualitative variables: geogrid type and grain size distribution in the asphalt mixture, and two qualitative variables: share and length of geogrid fibres. The mixtures designed and prepared under laboratory conditions were subject to the test of crack propagation resistance using the SCB method. The research also included an assessment of associated properties: air void content Va, water resistance ITSR and rutting resistance PRDair, WTSair. The results of the analysis indicated a potential way to improve the fracture toughness of asphalt concrete for the binder courser by optimising geogrid parameters. Also, the potential use of recycled geogrid to make asphalt mixtures enables the implementation of sustainable development principles in the road construction sector.

Transport infrastructure constitutes an essential component of the built environment, supporting urban accessibility, economic activity, and the long-term functionality of cities and developed areas. The quality of newly constructed pavements is traditionally assessed through compliance with construction specifications, such as layer thickness, material properties, and compaction requirements. However, these parameters do not directly quantify the influence of construction deviations on long-term pavement structural performance. This paper presents a structural capacity-based framework for pavement construction quality assessment that evaluates construction quality according to its expected impact on pavement service life. The proposed methodology integrates ground-penetrating radar measurements, core sampling, laboratory testing, and mechanistic structural analysis to determine the actual structural capacity of the as-built pavement expressed as the allowable number of Design Axle Loads. Based on these results, the Pavement Construction Quality Index (PCQI) is introduced to quantify the combined effects of systematic and localized construction deficiencies. To prevent severe localized defects from being masked by area-weighted averaging, the Critical Local Defect Indicator (CLDI) is proposed as an independent acceptance criterion. The sensitivity parameters of the PCQI formulation were calibrated using mechanistic analysis and HDM-4 deterioration modelling. The proposed framework was demonstrated through a real pavement reconstruction case study and further examined using Monte Carlo simulation to investigate its numerical behaviour over a broad range of construction non-compliance scenarios. The results demonstrate that the proposed methodology provides a continuous and technically consistent evaluation of pavement construction quality while enabling practical engineering interpretation of different quality levels. The framework offers a structured quantitative decision-support tool for pavement acceptance based on structural capacity rather than solely on compliance with construction tolerances, thereby supporting more reliable management of transport infrastructure as part of the wider built environment.

This research aimed to develop a comprehensive decision-making model for road rehabilitation, with the goals of extending pavement service life, minimizing major repairs, and improving the efficiency of investment and resource planning. The proposed methodology integrates structural condition, functional performance, and total economic value across the pavement lifecycle. It enables engineers and road managers to make informed decisions based on structural capacity, functional performance, asset value, and optimized rehabilitation strategies. The model was validated through case studies using data from Central European roads and accelerated pavement testing. It compared conventional and high-modulus asphalt overlays of equal thickness, demonstrating that a 3000 MPa increase in modulus extended residual life by over 30% and raised structural value by EUR 5.8/m2. This approach enhances planning and prioritization of rehabilitation activities, supports the use of higher-quality materials, reduces lifecycle costs and CO2 emissions, and facilitates integration with asset management systems. By linking pavement design, performance prediction, and asset management, the model supports strategic decision-making under performance and budget constraints.

Energy demand is a critical challenge for sustainable infrastructure, yet in road asset management, it is rarely considered a central decision criterion. Most decision frameworks remain focused on financial and structural performance. This study introduces a comparative Energy Balance Analysis (EBA) as a complementary tool to existing life-cycle approaches. A case study is presented in which the only variable is binder composition—conventional 50/70 bitumen versus the same binder modified with 3% styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) polymer. The methodology integrates material-level energy demand estimation, laboratory performance testing, and pavement life modeling with HDM-4, and vehicle operational energy analysis. Results show that although SBS modification increases initial binder production energy by 13.3%, it doubles pavement service life and avoids mid-life rehabilitation, leading to a net saving of 110,671.75 MJ over 20 years. These findings confirm that early-stage material improvements can generate long-term energy efficiency gains. The study thus demonstrates the potential of EBA as a practical decision-support tool for sustainable pavement management.

This paper presents the effect of modifiers on the properties of a mixture of asphalt concrete with bitumen emulsion (ACBE). The mineral-asphalt mixture is the only one that can be produced using the cold-mix technology (CMA). The theoretical part of the article details the characteristics of the methods for producing mineral-asphalt mixtures in terms of their production temperature. Thus, hot (HMA), half-warm (H-WMA), warm (WMA) and cold (CMA) mixtures are discussed. The research section presents the design of the asphalt concrete composition with bitumen emulsion, the research methods, the experiment design and the research results. The design of the mixture of asphalt concrete with bitumen emulsion was carried out in accordance with the guidelines set out in EN 13108-31. In the experiment, Portland cement (C), bitumen emulsion (A), synthetic latex (styrene-butadiene rubber SBR) (B) and redispersible polymer powder EVA (polyethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (P) were used as modifiers. Twenty-four mixtures were designed as part of the experiment, according to the 34 experiment design. The following physical and mechanical properties were assessed in the design of the research: air void content Vm, water ab-sorption nw, indirect tensile strength ITS and IT-CY stiffness modulus. When analysing the research results, the authors observed a noticeable impact of the content of asphalt (A) and synthetic latex (B) on the air void content Vm. A significant effect was also observed for the interaction of Portland cement (C) and redispersible polymer powder (P) on the indirect tensile strength ITS. The next step was the optimisation of the ACBE mixture composition, which effect made it possible to identify the optimum amounts of modifiers in the mixture of asphalt concrete with bitumen emulsion (ACBE), which constituted recommendations for the requirements for mixtures of asphalt concrete with bitumen emulsion.

Pavement performance models (PPMs) are utilized to predict pavement network conditions which is an essential part of any sustainable pavement management system (PMS). The reliability of a PMS and its outputs is proportional to the reliability of the PPM used. This article describes a mechanistic–empirical pavement performance model based on pavement response parameters—strains calculated in the pavement layers measured by tensometers embedded in the pavement surface and verified by calculations in the elastic half-space model and supplemented by empirical data from long-term pavement performance monitoring and accelerated pavement testing. Hence, the herein described PPM combines pavement serviceability evaluation, pavement bearing capacity, and the physico-mechanistic properties of paving materials. The analytical methods which were used to ascertain the physico-mechanistic characteristics, the material fatigue degradation model, and the surface degradation, unevenness in particular, are described. A comparison of the empirical PPM created in the last century used by the national road administrator to this day and the newly created PPM is presented. The comparison shows the difference in the calculated socio-economic benefits and subsequent cost–benefit analysis results. The comparison shows that the use of the old PPM may have produced false economic evaluation results that have led to poor decision making, partially explaining the unsustainable trend of road network management in our country.

The paper investigates the improvement of bitumen mixture fatigue resistance and the rutting performance by using a specific low percentage of a styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) polymer, which contains polystyrene and polybutadiene compounds. A Fourier transform infrared (IR-FT) spectroscopy of the SBS polymer used in following test was carried out to ascertain the polybutadiene and polystyrene compound ratio, which may affect the modificant properties. Unmodified, low-percentage modified SBS, and common polymer-modified bitumen (PMB) as a reference were tested to ascertain the properties, fatigue resistance, and the rutting performance. The test results of the low-percentage modification with SBS are compared against unmodified mixtures and standard PMB mixtures. Finally, a simulation of the practical application was performed using the HDM-4 software (version 2.0), where the material research findings, with an emphasis on the rutting performance, were translated into the pavement performance with a varying binder course layer under simulated traffic conditions. Lifecycle analysis, with a focus on emissions production (CO2, SO2, and NOx) during pavement operation, was conducted for pavements with unmodified, low-percentage modified SBS, and standard PMB binder courses. The lifecycle analysis showed that a 3% modification of the binder course with the SBS polymer can extend the rutting parameter pavement lifecycle by approximately 34.5%, which is about half of the extension provided by the standard PMB modification. The resulting improvement in the pavement serviceability translated to a 9% reduction in CO2 and SO2 emissions and a 7.2% reduction in NOx emissions over a 20-year period.

The study presented in this paper investigates the application of asphalt bitumen modification using a fast-reacting SBS polymer at a low modifier percentage. The hypothesis is that a fast-reacting styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) polymer that composes only 2% to 3% of the weight of the bitumen modification could extend the life of the pavement surfacing and pavement performance at relatively low input costs, increasing the net present value produced by the pavement during its life cycle. To confirm or refute this hypothesis, two types of road bitumens CA 35/50 and 50/70 were modified with low amounts of fast-reacting SBS polymer with the expectation of attaining properties similar to a 10/40–65 modified bitumen. For each type of unmodified bitumen, bitumen modification and comparative 10/40–65 modified bitumen, the following tests were conducted: needle penetration, softening point—ring and ball test method, and ductility test. The second part of the article focuses on a comparison of asphalt mixtures with different compositions of coarse-grain curves. For each mixture, complex modulus with varying temperatures and fatigue resistances are represented by the Wöhler diagram and compared. Based on in labo testing, the impact of the modification on pavement performance is evaluated. Life cycle changes for each type of modified and unmodified mixtures are quantified as road user costs, and attained benefits are compared with increased construction costs.

The article presents a comprehensive asset management method. Here presented method aims to bridge the economic approach to asset management with the technical approach to road infrastructure life cycle, namely its resilience and performance. The presented asset value calculation methods are based both on socio-economic viewpoints on community benefits of an asset, as well as the technical aspect of the technical condition and residual life calculations of a road infrastructure. In contrast to common road asset management methods, asset value is not arbitrarily annually depreciated, instead, it is exactly calculated based on pavement performance models, pavement construction fatigue and paving material properties. Road asset value calculation is based on the asset performance and the technical condition of a pavement structure and other objects. Road asset performance is defined in terms of society and road user demands put on road category and its qualitative standard. Road asset technical condition is evaluated by the procurement cost calculation and condition deterioration. Value of condition deterioration is defined by residual life expectancy based on fatigue and construction reliability of the road infrastructure. The cross-asset allocation method is used for the creation of programs for claim and allocation of funding. The aim was to increase the credibility of the road administrators with the public as they present their decisions based on road asset management, and to increase the level of acceptance for practitioners.

The article presents a complex pavement management system method that utilizes a novel optimization method of rehabilitation plans for individual road sections based on asset value optimization. This method is being implemented and tested by the Slovak Road Administration. The performance-based asset value optimization objectives are Socio-Economic Value and Technical Value of Assets, which breaks down into the Value of Structural Condition and Operational Capacity Value. Life cycle cost analysis is used to find the optimal rehabilitation year of individual road sections to optimize the asset value and minimize financial and economic costs while considering the life cycle extension provided by the rehabilitation in a given year. For the method to be reliable, two main preconditions need to be met. First, the residual bearing capacity calculation method needs to be based on rheological parameters of surfacing materials. This is significant because the residual bearing capacity is used for both choosing the correct rehabilitation technology and calculating the life cycle extension by the rehabilitation action. The second precondition is a reliable pavement performance model. This is significant because pavement deterioration is used to calculate road user costs, which serve as a key input to calculate assets’ Socio-Economic and Operational Capacity value.

The characteristics of asphalt concrete materials (ACM) composing the surfacing layer of a bituminous pavement must fulfil a requirement to maintain a level of operational capability demanded by national standards of a given country. ACM's are a subject to significant stress caused by traffic load and climate conditions, this leads to changes in their physico-mechanical properties. The loss of physico-mechanical properties causes deterioration of road surface characteristics. Since these changes occur throughout the ACM's life cycle, it is necessary to know the deterioration curves related to loading and time in mathematical terms, i.e. functions describing the initiation and progression of pavement's defect in time. Pavement Performance Models (PPM) ascertained by non-destructive testing are used to objectively express the surface properties of pavements and their deterioration. The methodology consists of an analytical method to ascertain physico-mechanical characteristics of ACM's and the use of experimental accelerated pavement testing (APT) facilities.

Mathematical expression of the deterioration of individual pavement parameters is, from the point of optimal repair and maintenance strategy decision-making process, an important part of the application of any pavement management system (PMS). The reliability of individual PMS depends on the quality of the inputs and the reliability of its internal sub-systems; thus, deterioration equations derived from high-quality input data play pivotal roles in a system for the prediction of the pavement life cycle. This paper describes the application of pavement performance models within pavement life cycle analysis (LCA) with the use of the integrated system of economic evaluation (ISEH), which is a calculation tool used for first-class roads with a standardized pavement composition of asphalt binders, where changes in operational capability parameters are modeled using individual model simulations. The simulations presented in this paper demonstrate changes in main economic indicators (net present value and internal rate of return) on two different pavement performance models. Both simulations share the same input parameters (traffic intensity, construction intervention, maintenance costs, discount rate) but differ in deterioration evaluation, all of which were applied to each model (a total of five models).

Ensuring the sustainability of road infrastructure cannot be achieved without the continuous application of new knowledge and approaches within individual management steps. A particularly risky stage in the life cycle of existing roads is the operation phase. High attention is paid to the environmental, financial and social impacts and benefits of individual processes applied by road managers. These processes meet in pavement management systems (PMS), which, however, cannot work reliably without the necessary input data. Information on the development of the technical condition of the road can also be included among the most important data. The paper brings the first outputs from several years of research of measurements on the Slovak 1st class road. Its aim is to gradually determine the degradation functions for the needs of Slovak geographical, climatic and transport conditions. The secondary objective is to verify the reliability of non-destructive measurement procedures of the technical condition of the road. Emphasis is placed on the application of such mathematical procedures that can not only reliably bring about the determination of past developments in the roadway, but can also present the expected picture of future developments.

Design of ACM life cycle is defined with respect to traffic load acting on the pavement and road class for a period of about 20 years. In practice, reconstruction is usually pending until the end of the life cycle after which the reconstruction takes place and the original materials are replaced by new materials. Life cycle of the pavement construction in road structure is significantly longer than that of the ACM; it is therefore necessary to consider ACM from a long term viewpoint, that is, exceeding their life expectancy. This paper describes a methodology which consists of analytical calculations, experimental measurements, and optimization of the ACM life cycle with the use of a rehabilitation action to provide new physical properties of pavement surfacing in different periods of the original life cycle. The aim is to attain maximal economic effectiveness, by minimizing financial costs for rehabilitation and maintenance and economic costs of road user. Presented method allows deriving optimal life cycle from various rehabilitation alternatives for particular ACM with the fact that all the necessary parameters are derived from specific experimental measurements and calculations. The method is applicable to all types of ACM materials; however, for each material, it is necessary to carry out the necessary measurements and tests. The article describes the methodology and case study results for a particular type of ACM material.

The pavement structure, namely pavement surfacing must meet the criteria required to provide operational service during the whole life cycle of the pavement. Surfacing design composed of layer strengths and proposed materials is defined by design method which calculates the stress state during long-term transport and environmental conditions. The designed surfacing life cycle is defined in respect to traffic load acting on the pavement and road class for a period of about 20 years. Given the practical aspects of road administration, pavement reconstruction is usually due only at the end of the life cycle, when the original materials are replaced by new materials and the layer strength is re-evaluated. Since the overall life cycle of the whole pavement is significantly longer than that of the surfacing, it is necessary to consider possibilities to extend the life cycle of the surfacing either through various technologies, i.e. reinforcement, overlays or recycling. Timing of execution of such action plays a paramount role, and it has impacts on future financial flows of road administrator as well as economic aspects of transportation for the whole society. This paper describes analytical calculations and experimental measurements of surfacing materials, as well as accelerated pavement testing process needed for ascertainment of operational performance of a pavement construction during its life cycle. Finally, a case study encompassing the whole method is presented.

The premise of sustainable transportation infrastructure constituting the backbone of a thriving economy is innovation. Facing the menace of aging infrastructure hampering the national development, innovation in material science and pavement management system is a key to stop and reverse the falling trend of road network operation ability. The article describes results in pavement deformation research, which is the basis for pavement serviceability prediction, which in turn is one of the main ground stone of pavement management system. Conducted research was performed on accelerated pavement testing facility APT tester 105-03-01. In the testing pavement segment, 27 wohler bridge based strain gauges are embedded in the bituminous layers. Traffic load is induced on a real pavement test segment in a compressed time period. Temporary and permanent deformation is evaluated and relation between permanent deformation and traffic load is ascertained.

Highway administrators, engineers, and researchers often face problems for which information already exists, either in documented form or as undocumented experience and practice. Accelerated pavement testing is one way where researchers can find answers for these problems. Full-scale accelerated pavement testing APT forms a vital link between the laboratory evaluation of materials used in pavement layers and the field behavior of these materials when combined into pavement structures. For many years APT provided pavement engineers with knowledge that improved their understanding of pavement materials and structures, as well as their behavior under typical traffic and environmental loading. It formed the basis for developing various theories about pavement behavior and supports most of the current pavement design methods.