Road Asset Management: The role of location in mitigating extreme flood maintenance

Abstract

Australia recently experienced a doubling of the annual rain fall during one seven-month period resulting in widespread and extensive infrastructure flooding. The increasing number of these disrupting weather events makes it difficult for Australian state road authorities to follow their predictive road maintenance plans. This report on desktop research using road authority annual reports focuses on the differences between the expected outcomes of open or closed systems perspectives. The study suggests that location-based thinking provides the underlying concept for effective efforts in linking predictive and reactive road maintenance activities. A location-based framework provides a synergistic resilience for Australian road networks.