The Victorian Government is using cutting-edge technology to assess the state's flood-damaged roads as part of the Emergency Road Repair Initiative. The Australian Road Research Board's Intelligent Pavement Assessment Vehicle (iPAVe) is being used by the government to assess the condition of more than 8,400 kilometres of Victorian roads damaged by heavy rain and flooding.
Using various data collection methods, the iPAVe can assess the structural and functional condition of the road. Developed in Denmark, the vehicle uses laser technology to examine factors such as roughness, surface texture and rutting. An automated 3D monitoring system assesses cracks and other surface data, while cameras on the vehicle's exterior provide a close-up view of the road network. In addition, a ground-penetrating radar simultaneously collects subsurface data, giving experts a better understanding of what is happening beneath the road surface.
This data will be useful in planning upcoming repairs and road maintenance across the state. The iPAVe collects all these data sets in a single trip at motorway speeds, making it a faster, safer and more cost-effective method of gathering information.
The iPAVe will survey more than 170 roads across the state, including major freight and tourist routes such as the Hume, Western, Midland, Goulburn Valley and Calder highways. Data collected during the latest assessments will be compared with data collected in 2021 to determine the impact of the recent floods.
The Labor Government's $165 million Emergency Road Repair Initiative has already begun repairing a range of roads across the state, with more than 500 workers repairing more than 116,000 potholes and carrying out emergency repairs to more than 930 local and state roads since mid-October. Further major repairs are expected to occur in the coming weeks and months as weather conditions improve.