Abstract
Roadway assets have the innate ability to govern the social and economic wellbeing
of a nation and its people. Deterioration of these roads through the formation of
potholes and patch repair failures can therefore have a widespread effect. The
factors that lay as root cause to the occurrence and in some cases recurrence of
these failures, must therefore be carefully managed throughout the assets’ life to
ensure that the detrimental impacts to society can be limited. The requirement for
asset owners, managers and contractors to understand the influential factors at play
are therefore paramount.
As the technical causal factors are relatively well known in industry, the current
research will be focussed mainly on the socio-economic factors that contribute
toward roadway asset deterioration whilst in service. The nature of these factors,
make it especially difficult for maintenance managers to perform maintenance
planning effectively. The study is therefore aimed at assisting in this endeavour, by
establishing the various possible factors to be catered for as well as their associated
impacts on flexible pavement life and quality.
During the research process, socio-economic factors, such as funds-, time- and
human capital management, noted during the review of existing literature were used
in the design of an industry survey. The research questionnaire, provided to the
target group within the local Gauteng roadway maintenance sector, served as the
secondary research tool within the study. Data obtained from the questionnaire,
allowed a more in-depth view to be taken into the Gauteng roadway asset
maintenance management sector and allowed scientifically valid deductions to be
made.
Findings made during the research process, emphasised the importance of catering
for these factors during maintenance planning, as each socio-economic factor was
found to have a potentially detrimental influence on premature roadway deterioration.
The summary of the factors obtained can therefore serve industry with the
assistance required to plan more effectively for the multitude of possible influencing
factors than was previously possible.
M.Ing. (Engineering Management)