The traffic associated with the use of these roads involves the emission of gases, as well as particulate matter and other particles
The presence of pollutants on road infrastructure sidewalks is a concern for both road safety and the environment.
For this reason, the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM), together with the R&D department of the Norwegian company ViaTech AS, has investigated the effect that these polluting particles have on the surface condition of roads and their environment. In addition, the research team has reviewed the tools currently available to detect directly or indirectly the problems arising from the accumulation of these particles on the road, which
can affect safety of the tracks
Transport infrastructures, especially roads, play a fundamental role in the economic growth of the surrounding population. However, they wear
a series of challenges ecological and social.
The traffic associated with the use of these roads involves the emission of gases, as well as particulate matter and other particles. Although emissions
gases and particles in suspension have gained particular relevance in recent years, as they negatively affect air quality, the role of those particles that accumulate on the road surface is unknown until now, according to Alpha Galileo.
For example, a research team consisting of Ana Patricia Pérez Fortes of the ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos of the UPM, together with technical experts from the R+D+I department of the company ViaTech AS, carried out work in which they completed a description of contamination of the road surface and its impact on the environment and safety.
When vehicle tires wear out or, for example, the road surface itself deteriorates, solid pollutant particles are released that can accumulate on the road surface, especially during dry seasons. When it rains or snows, depending on the intensity of this precipitation, these particles can move around, creating runoff that can alter the soil in the area or even lakes and rivers. This phenomenon, known as “road runoff”,
has been studied since the 1980s, through hydrological models that take into account as independent phenomena the accumulation of particles on the road surface and their subsequent leaching and transport by precipitation. However, these models have certain limitations. In the case of particle accumulation, the diversity of origin of these particles complicates their location and properties and hence their behavior. This is closely related to the intensity and thus the transport capacity of the precipitation.
At the same time, the accumulation of these particles on the road surface negatively affects the surface roughness of the road surface, reducing the tire’s grip on the road. When it starts to rain, this phenomenon is even more dangerous, as these wet particles act as a lubricant that decreases considerably
friction between the tire and the road, leading to accidents. This phenomenon, which takes into account the accumulation of contaminants on the road surface, the size of the contaminant particles and their interaction with the surface roughness of the road surface, especially at the microscale, has been thoroughly studied over the past decade. It has been shown that, in addition to precipitation intensity, particle size and road surface properties, especially at the microscale, are essential to understand the phenomena of pollutant particle accumulation and transport, as well as tyre/pavement interaction.
“For these reasons, we propose a multidisciplinary approach to the problem, which is becoming more common due to the increase in urban development, with pollutants accumulating on the road surface, including new road monitoring technologies, which can characterize ,
both on a macro and micro scale the surface properties of the pavement”, emphasises
Ana Patricia Perez Fortes. “We also encourage the scientific community to work closely with the administrations and companies involved in road maintenance, once again urging the multidisciplinary approach to this problem,” concludes the researcher.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
