Funding/Research Supports
Regional Municipality of Niagara
Project Status
Active
Project Overview
Canada has been significantly impacted by climate change, experiencing rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events. Pavements, especially asphalt and flexible types, are vulnerable to climate stressors like temperature variations, precipitation, wind speed, and water table changes, leading to rutting, cracking, and roughness. Freeze-thaw cycles further exacerbate pavement distress in colder regions. Addressing these impacts requires a comprehensive understanding of climatic stressors, life cycle assessments, and innovative maintenance strategies. This research is structured in five phases to improve pavement management in Niagara Region under changing climate and traffic conditions. Phase I evaluates the feasibility of implementing weigh-in-motion (WIM) sensors by assessing technical, economic, operational, and managerial aspects, and reviewing global best practices to understand how accurate traffic loading data can enhance pavement performance modelling, maintenance decisions, regulatory enforcement, and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction. Phase II develops predictive pavement performance models using mathematical and machine-learning approaches to assess the impacts of climate change and determine condition-based thresholds for indices such as IRI and PCI under various climate scenarios. Phase III focuses on estimating excessive fuel consumption and associated GHG emissions caused by deteriorated pavement conditions through calibration of the HDM-4 fuel consumption model and evaluating the combined effects of climate and pavement performance. Phase IV assesses short- and long-term climate risks to pavement infrastructure and prioritizes adaptation strategies based on regional risk tolerance. Phase V integrates the findings into multi-objective optimization models to support cost-effective, resilient, and environmentally sustainable pavement maintenance decisions.
Expected outcomes include improved pavement performance prediction, optimized maintenance strategies, reduced lifecycle costs, and lower greenhouse gas emissions under changing climate conditions. The research will also support the training of highly qualified personnel (HQP) in pavement analytics, climate resilience, and sustainable infrastructure management. Overall, the project will advance practical and resilient pavement management solutions for long-term transportation infrastructure sustainability.