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Map of the ROADEX partner countries

The ROADEX Project was a EU funded collaboration of northern European roads organisations from Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Scotland and Sweden that came together with the aim of improving the condition of their rural road networks. It is still active as the ROADEX Network and currently comprises 13 partners comprising 6 national roads administrations, a government department, 3 government agencies, 2 local authorities and a roads district. These local road networks are the vital social arteries for rural communities across northern Europe, as well as being major transportation routes for internationally important timber, mining and fishing industries.

The project started as a pilot project in 1998 to:

  • Share best practice
  • Research and develop new knowledge
  • Implement and test new solutions

It has now been running for 20 years and over that period it has become a centre of information for all things concerning the management of rural roads. Its website averages over 5,000 hits per month from individuals and organisations around the world seeking information and strategies for dealing with issues arising from poorly performing roads.

The project was awarded a European Union RegioStars special mention in 2009[1] and in 2018 its strategies and technologies were recognised internationally in a Global Road Achievement Award by the International Road Federation for ″Asset Preservation and Maintenance Management″ [2]

The project became self-funding as the ROADEX Network in 2012 when EU funding ceased.


History

The history of the project, and its evolution since 1998, is set out below.

The EU ROADEX projects 1998-2012

The pilot project, 1998-2001

File:ROADEX pilot reduced.png
ROADEX logo

The pilot ROADEX project (ROADs Information EXchange = ROADEX) created the forum to enable information exchange and proved that the co-operation could work despite the differences in languages, currencies and climates. It was 50% funded by the European Union and also received support from The Scottish Executive and The Icelandic Road Administration.

The pilot identified 5 common problems across the countries, and these still form the foundation for all considerations today.

  1. Road drainage – number one everywhere
  2. Heavy trucks and permanent deformation
  3. Poor quality road materials
  4. Roads on peat
  5. Widened roads
File:ROADEX II reduced3.png
ROADEX II logo

ROADEX II, 2002-2005

The second project[3][4] continued to be part-funded by the EU and aimed at developing new ways for rural road management. The existing members in the project were joined by two new partners from Scotland: Forest Enterprise of Scotland and Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar and a number of associate partners: The Norwegian Hauliers Association,[5] The Finnish Road Administration, Lapland District, Metsähallitus Forestry, Stora Enso Metsä, Metsäliitto Osuukunta, and The Forestry Centre of Lapland.[6] The involvement of these new partners from the forestry and forest products industry brought the insight and experience of industry using gravel roads to the partnership and permitted the co-operation to consider all types of roads serving communities, both surfaced and unsurfaced.

The project considered the challenge faced by roads organisations everywhere - how to meet the growing expectations of modern production and logistic chains, in times of reducing budgets. The formal outputs of the co-operation included a DVD Focussing on low volume roads in the Northern Periphery and 11 technical reports.

ROADEX III, 2006-2007

File:ROADEX III reduced.png
ROADEX III logo

This third project was a Dissemination and Implementation project to show how the strategies and practices developed under the previous projects could be used n practice and what benefits could result. This was achieved through a variety of methods including translating the reports into the partner languages; presentations at conferences, seminars, workshops; training packages, web based information; and trials of prototype solutions in the partner areas.

Five new partners joined at this time: The Icelandic Road Administration, The Swedish Forest Agency, The Department of Transport and The National Roads Authority from Ireland, and The Municipality of Sisimiut of the Greenland Home Rule Government. The Swedish Board of Forestry, Dalarna/Gävleborg and The Association of Regional Road Authorities (RADOR),[7] Russia joined as Associate Partners.

Outputs of the project included 3 DVDs[8] and 14 technical reports on the management and maintenance of roads, including the socio-economic benefits of minor roads to remote rural communities. An important new area of research was the measurement of daily vibration in drivers of heavy vehicles caused by poorly maintained road networks. This vibration could not be mitigated by modern trucks with modern suspension systems. It was wholly due to the condition of the road.

The project received a RegioStars award[9] in 2009 by the Northern Periphery Programme[1].

ROADEX IV, 2009-2012

File:ROADEX IV reduced2.png
ROADEX IV logo

This fourth project[10][11][12][13] demonstrated the use of the new technologies on live public roads.[14] The work was supported by a new consultancy service and web-based knowledge centre. Joint research and development continued in the areas of climate change,[15] road widening[16] and the driver health issues.[17]

The Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada (FERIC)[18] and Coillte of Ireland joined as Associate Partners.

Over 30 technical reports on the demonstrations were published at the end. Typically these covered issues such as road drainage techniques across different countries and road types, demonstrations of state-of-the-art road repairs and widening, condition surveys and proposals for forest roads, as well as a summary report on the benefits & savings[19] possible.

EU part-funding ended in 2012[20] at which point the partners committed themselves to continue to share information and research at their own cost.

The ROADEX Network since 2012

File:ROADEX Network reduced.png
ROADEX Network logo

The present ROADEX Network commenced in 2012 and took over responsibility for the website, knowledge centre, e-learning and reports. Joint research into road management strategies continued[21][22][23][24] to keep the collaboration live and learning.

Recent noteworthy projects involving technologies developed by the project include: research into the effects of the new generations of heavy trucks on road surfaces;[25][26] the Pajala Mine Road in Sweden (2013);[27], and the PEHKO[28][29][30] 2015-2025 project in Finland.

The E-learning suites

A major output for the project are the four web-based e-learning suites.[31] These elearning packages were developed in response to demand form the partners and address the four main concerns for road organisation in northern Europe.

  • Drainage of roads
  • Causes and solutions for deformations in roads
  • Road construction over peat
  • Environmental considerations for roads

These lessons have received excellent reviews since they were released, and are now being used as self-learning undergraduate training packages in universities. All four are available in the main partner languages of Icelandic, Finnish, Greenlandic, Norwegian and Swedish to encourage dissemination and implementation. The English suite is constantly being reviewed and updated to keep the lessons valid.

The PEHKO Project (2015-2025)

Figures from the PEHKO project: LHS - Point Cloud screenshot showing rutting on the road surface. RHS - Survey vehicle equipped with Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Laser Scanner, 3D accelerometer and digital video

The PEHKO Project is the first full test and assessment of ROADEX strategies and technologies on a live public road network. The Finnish Transport Agency originally commissioned the project in 2015 on two tests areas the Kemi-Tornio and Karstula road networks to take place over the 10 year period to 2025, and extended the brief to the Uusimaa area outside Helsinki in 2018.

The project involves using ROADEX strategies and analyses to formulate a maintenance plan for the test areas with the aim of reducing maintenance costs, whilst at the same time improving the condition of the network. The key operations being carried out are improved drainage maintenance, pro-active snow removal[32] and targeted repair of road sections that need action. Early results in 2016[33] have already shown clear benefits in the new strategies over former practices.

The PEHKO project was awarded the 2018 Global Road Achievement Award for ″Asset Preservation and Maintenance Management″ [2] by the International Road Federation. The project publishes results its results internationally[34][35]

The ROADEX website

The project website at www.roadex.org contains everything that the project has done since 1998 as well as holding the elearning suite and knowledge centre. It is fully open accessOpen access icon and free to use by all. As of 2019 the project website was averaging over 5,000 users per month from around the world seeking information and solutions, including such countries as India (18%), USA (13%), Philippines (8%), Malaysia (5%), Nigeria (5%).

References

  1. ^ a b "ROADEX receives special mentions RegioStars 2009". www.northernperiphery.eu.
  2. ^ a b "2018 Global Road Achievement Awards" (PDF). www.irf.global.
  3. ^ Munro R; et al. "ROADEX II Project: Focusing on Low-Volume Roads in the European Northern Periphery". Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board. 1989: 76.
  4. ^ "ROADEX II". interreg.no. Interreg.no. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  5. ^ "Norwegian hauliers association".
  6. ^ "The Forestry Centre of Lapland".
  7. ^ "The Association of Regional Road Authorities (RADOR)".
  8. ^ "ROADEX III DVDs". www.roadex.org.
  9. ^ "RegioStars Awards leaflet" (PDF).
  10. ^ "ROADEX IV". www.northernperiphery.eu. Northern Periphery Programme. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  11. ^ "ROADEX IV". interreg.no. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  12. ^ Sigursteinsson, H. "ROADEX IV" (PDF). www.vegagerdin.is. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  13. ^ "ROADEX IV - Case Study 5" (PDF). www.interreg-npa.eu. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  14. ^ "NPP Achivements 2007-2013" (PDF). www.interreg-npa.eu.
  15. ^ Hudecz, A. "Climate Change Adaptation - A Report on Climate Change Adaptation Measures for Low Volume Roads in the Northern Periphery" (PDF). core.ac.uk.
  16. ^ Varin P, Saarenketo T. "Road Widening Guidelines" (PDF). www.roadex.org.
  17. ^ Granlund, J. "Reducing Health and Safety Risks on Poorly Maintained Rural Roads" (PDF). road-transport-technology.org.
  18. ^ "The Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada (FERIC)".
  19. ^ Saarenketo T; et al. "ROADEX Benefits and Savings - Achieving More with Less" (PDF). www.roadex.org.
  20. ^ "ROADEX IV - ROADEX Network Implementing Accessibility 4.1". www.northernperiphery.eu. Northern Periphery Programme. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  21. ^ White D, Vennapusa P. "Low-Cost Rural Surface Alternatives - Draft Final Report, December 2013" (PDF). www.iowadot.gov. Center for Earthworks Engineering Research (CEER), Iowa State University. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  22. ^ Saarenketo T, Varin P. "Effect of Tyre and Axle Configurations on Pavement Durability - A ROADEX Network Prestudy" (PDF). www.nvfnorden.org.
  23. ^ Arnold G; et al. "Pavement moisture measurement to indicate risk to pavement life, March 2017" (PDF). www.nzta.govt.nz.
  24. ^ Saarenketo T; et al. "The use of Ground Penetrating Radar, Thermal Camera and Laser Scanner Technology in Asphalt Crack Detection and Diagnostics". books.google.co.uk. 7th RILEM International Cnference on Cracking in Pavements, p137-145. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  25. ^ Varin, P. "New Heavy Trucks and Pavements - Experiences from Finland" (PDF).
  26. ^ Varin P, Saarenketo T. "The effect of new tyre type, tyre pressure and axle configurations of heavy trucks on asphalt pavement lifetime".
  27. ^ Varin P; et al. "Impact Analysis of Kaunisvaara - Svappavaara Road Iron Ore Transportation Options".
  28. ^ Tapio R; et al. "PEHKO Project 2015-2025, increasing the productivity of paved road management in Finland". www.h-a-d.hr. 6th Eurasphalt & Eurobitume Congress 2016, Prague, Czech Republic.
  29. ^ Saarenketo, T. "PEHKO Project – Hur upståren en skadeskuldinom väganläggningar" (PDF). www.nvfnorden.org.
  30. ^ Kolisoja P, Saarenketo T. Effects of super heavy trucks on the condition of road infrastructure. Bearing Capacity of Roads, Railways and Airfields: Proceedings of the 10th Conference, Athens, 28–30 June 2017: CRC Press. Retrieved 18 August 2018.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  31. ^ "ROADEX E-learning portal".
  32. ^ Saarenketo, T. "Winter Maintenance and the Annual Costs of Pavements" (PDF). tapahtumat.tieyhdistys.fi.
  33. ^ Saarenketo, T. "The effect of better maintenance to" (PDF). www.nvfnorden.org.
  34. ^ Saarenketo, T. "PEHKO project - implementing ROADEX recommendations for rural road asset management in Finland".
  35. ^ Arnold G; et al. "New Zealand Transport Agency research report 611 Pavement moisture measurement to indicate risk to pavement life March 2017" (PDF). www.nzta.govt.nz. New Zealand Transport Agency. Retrieved 19 February 2020.


Category:1998 establishments Category:Road transport in Europe Category:Northern Europe

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