Maintenance costs of road pavement and motor vehicles on the route Vilnius - Kaunas - Klaipėda

The article describes the impact of axle loads of vehicles on the road pavement. Pavement deterioration intensity and the charge imposed on vehicles the axle load of which exceeds the set norm are analyzed on the road under investigation according to the results of weighing axle loads of vehicles as well as appropriate calculation methodologies. The work presents regressive equations according to which maintenance costs of vehicles can be predicted taking the condition of pavement into consideration

Analysis and Evaluation of the Effect of Studded Tyres on Road Pavement and Environment (II)

In order to reduce a negative impact of studded tyres on the environment (i.e. emissions of fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10) particulate matter and noise) various scientific investigations are carried out to decide if the use of studded tyres shall be allowed or prohibited. This is especially topical for the countries belonging to the northern latitudes of the Earth‘s hemisphere where in winter months the air temperature drops below 0 °C, i.e. Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland), east and middle Europe (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Germany, etc.), also USA, Japan, Canada and Russia. Based on the scientific investigations that the use of studded tyres causes emissions of pollutants, especially of PM2.5 and PM10 (Al, Si, K, S, Zn, W etc.), into the ambient air several tens of times higher than by the use of non-studded tyres and generates the increase in the noise emissions up to several tens of times, it could be stated that the use of studded tyres should not be obligatory. Thus, in “mild” Lithuanian winter when the air temperature often varies around 0 °C the use of studded tyres when travelling of icy and more rarely cleaned roads of Lithuania should be only recommended since the ice layer of the road pavement is effectively surmounted by the new generation winter tyres, i.e. less dangerous for the environment, manufactured from a more soft rubber mixture, containing a chemical element silicon

Analysis and Evaluation of the Effect of Studded Tyres on Road Pavement and Environment (III)

In the economic evaluation of studded tyres their benefit and damage to the public was analyzed. Such aspects as the price of studded tyres, their effect on braking distance, fuel costs, road pavement, pavement marking, initiation of particulate mater and the increase in noise emisions were compared and analyzed. Based on the inquiry of tyre sellers and executed calculations, it was determined that in Lithuania, in winter season about 15% of passenger cars use winter tyres with studs, therefore due to the reduced number of road accidents (reduced number of people killed and injured) the public receives the benefit of 1.81 mln EUR. However, due to the more expensive tyres, increased fuel consumption, damages to horizontal pavement marking, negative impact of particulate matter on human health the public incur considerably higher losses amounting even to 38.43–39.07 mln EUR

Implementation of Experimental Research in Road Traffic: Тheory and Practice

The article describes the questions of experimental researches in road traffic and possible alternatives for the implementation of the experiment. Evolutionary planning is suggested as the basic planning of the experiment. Some results are given from the research of the main parameter – volume of traffic flows. Satisfactory management is far from optimal management and huge reserves are still available here. The problems of collecting data on the parameters of traffic flow have been studied by many researchers. In this article authors also tried in a certain way to enlighten a number of questions related to the implementation and planning of experimental researches in the field of road traffic

Improvement of Road Pavement Maintenance Models and Technologies

The roads as main national assets maintenance costs increase dramatically but budgets stays as it is or even decrease over the years. However, at the same time, it is required to maintain road pavements condition at high level. These trends make asset owners and administrators to search for new ways and methods for more efficient roads maintenance management. As the new road is build or old one reconstructed performance indicators should be identified for whole life cycle as it is defined by design. Pavement condition evaluation by indicating present performance indicators level should be done timely and accurate at road level and whole network level. Ongoing support of pavement condition under network level, with a long-term strategy, allows to prolong the life of the pavement, improve traffic safety and meet public expectations. The comprehensive analysis of road maintenance and management systems recommendations for their improvement and application are presented in the article