LTA Seeks Ideas to Measure and Predict Road Maintenance Needs

It is also calling for proposals to improve the way roads are designed and built

- Lee Nian Tjoe

To upgrade the way it manages the 9,500 lane-kilometres of road under its charge, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is calling for ideas to measure and predict road maintenance needs.

Separately, it is also calling for proposals to improve the way roads are designed and constructed.

At present, it uses a mix of video analytics and artificial intelligence to spot defects on road surfaces. The use of such technologies has improved productivity and detection accuracy, LTA said in a document posted to its website calling for solutions.

LTA uses three types of specialized equipment to assess road performance today. A laser crack measurement system evaluates surface roughness, ruts (or tracks left by wheels), surface texture and cracks; a grip tester assesses skid resistance; and a falling weight deflectometer looks at the structural integrity of the roads.

The authority said in mid-December that its current approach has adequately guided maintenance work and planning, but recent advancements such as in technology, ways to assess road performance, and automated data-collection techniques may enable it to expand the use of data to improve the management of road pavements.

LTA wants to index the data gathered during inspections to create a Singapore Road Pavement Performance System, which will be hosted on a digital platform.