Long Term Performance and Economic Aspects of Concrete Roads in Austria

Austria has more than 30 years' experience in concrete road construction. Half of the approximately 650 km of motorways with a concrete pavement are more than 20 years old. 40/0have already been reconstructed, some 14% will have to be reconstructed within the next 5 to 10 years. The remainder is in predominantly good condition. The assumption that a concrete pavement has a service life of 30 years in therefore quite realistic. The techniques used in concrete pavement construction have been improved in many respects during the past 10 to 20 years to achieve a reduction of failure frequency and an extension of service life. It is therefore expected that the concrete surfaces that were laid more recently will be able to resist even increasing traffic loads. An analysis of maintenance costs shows that total maintenance costs incurred within a period of 30 years will range between 11 and 24 ECU/sqm, depending on traffic load, construction method, and quality of workmanship. Longterm performance is ultimately an economic issue. Timely maintenance measures and additional investments in new pavement construction may result in a considerable reduction of total maintenance costs and an appreciable extension of service life.