Urban Rigid Pavements in Italy

Since the end of the Second World War many of the urban road pavements that had been executed in concrete have been gradually repaved with bitumen. As a result of the problems induced by increasing traffic rates, rigid pavements are now gaining new impetus also within urban road networks. PIARC's Italian Committee C7, "Rigid Pavements", has been engaged in research into the condition of existing urban rigid pavements. The work started out from a questionnaire circulated among the technical offices of Italy's provincial capitals. More generally, data thus gather were processed to identify types, properties and materials characterising the Italian road scheme. The study was particularly aimed at reviewing the state of the art and obtaining viewpoints on the performance of existing pavements. Obtaining inforiiiation on the status of the concrete pavements cluTently in service within urban road networks and promoting the use of rigid pavements have been additional targets.