In order to specify possible weaknesses in the pavement and road design in relation to future changes in traffic, transport and climate change, Rijkswaterstaat will conduct a nationwide research of the bearing capacity and pavement design of its highways. A large fraction of the Dutch highway network was constructed in 1960-1970s. Since then the pavement area increased from 20% to 80% of its current area (approx. 85 km²). One of the challenges is maintaining the Dutch Primary Road Network in optimal condition and guarantee safe and unhindered passage of traffic and goods. Hence, Rijkswaterstaat has started a large research project inventorying the maintenance challenges in the period 2020-2030. This research is a multiannual project. Its goals are assessing the current state of the Dutch highways (bearing capacity and risks of smaller culverts), plus anticipating to the effects of climate change and traffic intensities/loads in the coming decade. This paper informs on the background, setup of the research, our collaboration with international partners and the primary results of employing in-motion deflectometers on the Dutch Primary Road Network. Furthermore it presents the research programme and planning in the period 2016-2019.

In this work ageing protocols for asphalt and mastics were developed and investigated; i.e representation of the field ageing and their acceleration degree. Here it was aimed to age laboratory prepared specimen analogous to naturally aged materials in the field and compare their material properties. Such simulation of ageing is of importance in order to potentially specify and objectively assess the properties of (novel) binders and asphaltic materials for Porous Aaphalt (PA). Hence, two ageing protocols were developed and investigated; one ageing protocol for asphalt mixtures and one for asphalt mastics. The rheological (DSR) properties of binders from the laboratory aged materials have been evaluated in comparison to binders from field aged specimen.