OPPORTUNITIES FOR AUTOMATION IN PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE. IN: 1991 TAC ANNUAL CONFERENCE, PROCEEDINGS. VOLUME 1. SEPTEMBER 15-16, 1991, WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA

Maintenance and rehabilitation of pavements in Canada and the U.S. represents a major transport expenditure. This paper explores the potential of automating road maintenance work. The maintenance process is reviewed and different levels of automation are defined. An approach to automation opportunity identification is described and is used to identify key opportunities. Developments to date are reviewed, and a specific case application, a robotic pavement crack filler, is described in detail including the elements and considerations that went into its design. It is concluded that there are significant opportunities for maintenance automation in traffic control, crack routing and sealing, surface patching, pot hole patching, surface recycling and milling, and chip and slurry sealing.