A round table was held on the implementation of the national road project.
Specialists of the road industry discussed topical and problematic issues of the implementation of the national project "Safe and high-quality Highways" (NP "BCAD") in terms of the use of advanced technologies in the road sector. Specialists and heads of road departments from the regions of Russia, as well as federal structures and the Russian Academy of Sciences took part in the discussion organized by the FAA "ROSDORNII" together with the Higher School of Economics (HSE).
The purpose of the round table was to summarize the results of the outgoing year and find ways to solve the most pressing problems of the industry. The event was opened by a reportAlexey Kovrov, Director for Organizational Activities of the Industry-wide Competence Center (BCC) of the road industry of the FAA "ROSDORNII". In particular, the head spoke about the research carried out by the institute as part of the implementation of the NP "BCAD".
"ROSDORNII is actively engaged in the re-equipment of the industry and the introduction of new effective technologies. In in particular, together with colleagues from the industry community, we have identified a basic set of technologies that most seriously affect the increase in the repair time of highways. These are technologies of volumetric and volumetric-functional design of asphalt-concrete mixtures, regeneration of pavement layers and stabilization of foundation soils. In 2020, their development was actively conducted on the basis of pilot regions, including in the Kursk, Orenburg, and Ryazan regions. We are starting cooperation with the Leningrad region. In all these regions, technologies are now being implemented on regional and inter-municipal roads. In fact, in the future, all subjects of the Russian Federation will have to switch to progressive solutions. In two years, the old GOST for asphalt concrete mixtures will have to be abandoned," said Alexey Kovrov.
According to Alexey Kovrov, one of the most serious problems of the implementation of NP "BCAD" today is the poor quality of the organization and planning of road works, still characteristic of many regions. In particular, before laying or repairing a roadway, its foundation is often not examined for compatibility and interaction with the new coating planned for installation. As a result, the use of modern technologies and materials does not give the expected effect, and sometimes the work has to be carried out repeatedly.
To solve the problem, the FAA "ROSDORNIA" has developed a methodology for strategic planning of all road development activities for ten years ahead and is ready to provide the regions with comprehensive support in its use. So, as of the end of 2020, the new planning methodology has already been implemented in the Magadan and Amur regions. It is based on in–depth diagnostics of the current state of the road network. If the region does not have the funds to conduct the necessary research, the institute is ready to carry them out on its own using the latest mobile, stationary and mobile laboratory complexes that it has.
According to the director of the research and consulting center for PPP and Investment Management of the Institute of Construction and Housing of the Higher School of Economics, Adezhda Kulakova, the most pressing problems of the Russian road industry are the increasing volume of "under-repairs" of highways and road facilities, as well as a high level of turnover of qualified personnel. The latter, in particular, leads to the fact that road departments and local services do not consider the introduction of innovations as a priority area of their activities. This hinders the effective achievement of the targets of NP "BCAD".
"One of the obstacles to the introduction of innovations is the existing procedure for conducting state expertise of projects. The form in which it is being carried out now prevents the use of new materials, since it aims to minimize the cost of the project and does not take into account the functional tasks that road structures should solve. The main criterion for choosing the optimal design solution should not be the minimum cost of construction, but the minimization of costs for the entire service life of the structure, including reducing losses as a result of road transport structures," the expert is sure.
In support of her words, Nadezhda Kulakova cited statistics on the operation of highways in the United States, where such a strategy allowed to reduce maintenance costs the road transport network is worth trillions of dollars a year.
The reports of the representatives of the FAA "ROSDORNIA" and the HSE aroused great interest and response from the majority of those present. Representatives of two leading Russian scientific institutions answered the questions of the invited guests and gave the necessary comments. According to the unanimous opinion of the participants, such an informal schedule of working meetings contributes to the speedy and effective solution of accumulated problems and allows for a productive working dialogue between all subjects of the industry.