Rapid Deterioration of Pavements Due to Flooding Events in Australia

Abstract

In recent years, roads in Australia were affected by the frequent occurrences of extreme weather events such as intense heavy rainfall, cyclones and flooding. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the impact of flooding on the surface condition (roughness and rutting) deterioration of pavements in the Brisbane City Council, the Department of Transport and Main Roads (Queensland) and the Roads and Maritime Services (New South Wales). The paper also presents a case study that assesses the long term impact of the January 2011 flood on a Brisbane street. Generally, an escalation of structural and surface condition deterioration was observed in pavements after the flood, due to the saturation of the subgrade. The outcomes of this study will benefit the evaluation and modelling of the rapid deterioration of the functional performance of pavements due to extreme weather events such as flooding.