Innovation is the creation of change that introduces a significant element of novelty in thought and action.
There is a little doubt that technology is transforming the way that industries operate. While there are wide ranging applications across multiple industries, investments from the capital projects and infrastructure industry are predicted to be one of the highest.?This is partly due to the significant impacts the technologies will have in improving efficacy and safety, streamline processes and reducing operational or maintenance costs.
Departing from Standards for Innovation
Design codes and standards provide guidance.?It is sometimes argued that they stifle innovation and imaginative designs that are cost effective. There are situations where innovative ideas might make it advantageous to depart from a standard, as it is a fact that the issuance of new standards or modifications to them?cannot keep pace with the technological advancements. But it should be kept in view that the departure from the standard should ensure safety standards, maintainability and giving good value for money on a whole life cost basis. Innovative ideas should also be examined for what might go wrong, the likelihood of adverse outcomes and the impact these would have. Such assessments are often difficult because there tends to be limited knowledge of innovative activities before work starts, especially when organizations enter unfamiliar territory.
Basic risk analysis involves judgements on risks, failing outright or unwanted outcomes occurring, against potential returns. Risks are not confined to single major failures within an organization. The knock-on effects of a series of relatively minor shortcomings elsewhere, or changes in markets, can have a catastrophic impact.
There are a number of new materials and technologies being used in the design and construction of road projects. A few of them are explained briefly in the following:
- Smart Materials: The integration of smart materials that can respond to environmental conditions, such as self-healing materials and dynamic asphalt, is being researched to improve road longevity and performance.
- Green and Sustainable Materials: There has been a growing emphasis on using eco-friendly and sustainable materials, such as recycled plastics, rubberized asphalt, and bio-based binders, to reduce the environmental impact of road construction.
- Durable Marking Materials: Research and development have led to more durable road marking materials that resist wear and fading, ensuring better visibility and safety on roadways.
- Recycled Materials: The use of recycled materials, such as reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled concrete aggregates, has become more prevalent to reduce environmental impact and conserve natural resources.
- Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA): WMA technology allows for lower mixing temperatures during asphalt production, resulting in reduced energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Self-Healing Concrete: Researchers have been exploring self-healing concrete that can repair cracks on its own using embedded bacteria or other materials, increasing the durability and lifespan of road structures.
- Porous Asphalt and Permeable Pavements: These materials allow rainwater to seep through, reducing runoff and preventing flooding while improving water quality by filtering pollutants.
- Geosynthetics: Geosynthetic materials, such as geotextiles and geogrids, are being used to reinforce and stabilize road structures, enhancing their performance and longevity.
- Hydrophobic Coatings: Hydrophobic coatings are being tested to make road surfaces water-resistant, minimising the negative impact of water on road structures.
- Smart Roads: Integration of technology into roads, like sensors, data monitoring systems, and smart traffic management, aims to improve safety, traffic flow, and maintenance efficiency.
- Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Road Markings: LED-based road markings provide enhanced visibility at night and during adverse weather conditions, increasing safety for drivers.
- Solar Roads: Solar panels integrated into road surfaces, known as solar roads or photovoltaic roads, have been experimented with to harness solar energy and provide power to nearby infrastructure.
- 3D Printing: 3D printing technology has been explored to create road structures more efficiently and precisely, potentially reducing construction time and material waste.
- Building Information Modelling (BIM): BIM is a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility. It has lot of advantages which include but not limited to identification of clashes between the different design features, ensuring safe construction, visualisation of expected outcome, progress tracking, quantity surveying etc.
- Nanotechnology: Nanomaterials are being investigated for road construction to enhance properties like strength, durability, and resistance to wear and tear.
- IoT and Sensors: The Internet of Things (IoT) and sensor technologies are increasingly used to monitor road conditions, traffic flow, and structural integrity, enabling better maintenance and management of road networks.
- Magnetic Induction: Magnetic induction technology is being explored to charge electric vehicles while they are in motion, which could potentially reduce the need for conventional charging stations.
