World-first technology Intelligent Pavement Assessment Vehicle (iPAVe) is being used to assess the condition of Victoria’s flood-ravaged roads as part of the Victorian Government’s emergency road repair blitz. 

Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne announced the Australian Road Research Board’s iPAVe will join the blitz to assess the condition of Victoria’s roads in the wake of recent floods and extreme rainfall. 

“We’re using the latest technology to make sure we deliver the repairs needed right across our roads following the devastation caused by recent floods and extreme rainfall,” Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne said. 

Equipped with a range of data collection systems, the iPAVe will gather a broad spectrum of data that will help local government plan for upcoming large-scale repairs and road maintenance. 

The iPAVe is capable of assessing both the structural and functional condition of the road, using laser technology developed in Denmark to look at characteristics including roughness, surface texture and rutting. 

Cracking and other surface data are assessed using an automated 3D monitoring system, while cameras mounted to the truck’s exterior will give road maintenance experts a first-hand look at the state’s road network. 

With the use of an onboard ground-penetrating radar, the iPAVe can also collect sub-surface data at the same time, giving experts a better understanding of what’s happening underneath the road surface. 

These datasets are collected at the same time, in one trip, at highway speed, making the iPAVe a cheaper, faster and safer way to collect intelligence. 

Data collected as part of iPAVe’s most recent assessments will then be compared with similar information collected in 2021 to gauge the full impact of the recent floods. 

More than 170 of the state’s roads will undergo inspection by iPAVe, including major freight and tourist routes like the Hume, Western, Midland, Goulburn Valley and Calder highways. 

Thanks to the Victorian Government’s $165 million emergency road repair blitz, larger-scale repairs are already underway on a range of infrastructure across the state, with more to come as warmer, drier weather delivers more suitable conditions for major roadworks. 

“Already, crews are making a start on delivering large-scale, long-term repairs and this data will help to plan for further works, ensuring that the communities hit hardest by these floods remain connected to vital supplies and services,” Minister Horne said. 

Since mid-October, a team of more than 500 workers has repaired more than 116,000 potholes and delivered emergency repairs to re-open more than 930 roads – both local and state-managed roads. 

Source: Premier of Victoria media release. Content has been edited for style and length. 

Eliza Sayon

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Eliza is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum. She is an experienced writer on topics related to the government and to the public, as well as stories that uplift and improve the community.

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