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IRC Code 82-2015: Types of Maintenance for Bituminous Roads
Bituminous roads form the backbone of India’s highway network. Their cost-effectiveness, ease of construction, and driving comfort make them a preferred choice. However, without timely and structured maintenance, these roads can deteriorate rapidly, leading to increased costs, road safety hazards, and user discomfort.
The Indian Roads Congress has laid out a comprehensive maintenance guide in IRC Code 82-2015, titled “Code of Practice for Maintenance of Bituminous Road Surfaces.” This revised code outlines the importance of maintenance and the three primary types of maintenance practices required to preserve and prolong the life of bituminous roads.
In this blog, we will explore in detail the types of maintenance for bituminous roads as defined in IRC Code 82-2015, along with their objectives, timing, and procedures.
Understanding the Importance of Maintenance
According to IRC Code 82-2015, timely maintenance has multifaceted advantages:
- Extends pavement life and delays deterioration.
- Reduces Vehicle Operating Costs (VOC) due to smoother surfaces.
- Minimizes accident risks by eliminating surface hazards.
- Improves ride quality during all weather conditions.
- Decreases environmental impact by lowering fuel consumption.
- Saves future costs on reconstruction or rehabilitation.
Timely and regular maintenance ensures an economic return of up to 15–20%, depending on the road type and traffic load.
Three Primary Types of Maintenance as per IRC Code 82-2015
1. Routine Maintenance
Definition:
Routine maintenance involves small-scale, repetitive tasks to keep the road functional on a day-to-day basis.
Common Activities:
- Pothole filling
- Crack sealing
- Surface patching
- Maintenance of pavement markings
Frequency:
These tasks are performed year-round by field staff.
Objective:
To address early signs of distress before they escalate, ensuring roads remain safe and usable at all times.
2. Preventive Maintenance
Definition:
Preventive maintenance is a proactive approach. It is applied to roads that are still in good condition to delay deterioration.
Purpose:
- Improve the functional life of pavement.
- Defer the need for more extensive periodic maintenance or rehabilitation.
Treatment Techniques:
- Slurry seals
- Microsurfacing
- Fog seals
- Bituminous surface dressing
- Crack sealing
Selection Factors:
Preventive treatments are selected based on:
- Current pavement condition rating
- Traffic type and volume
- Environmental and climatic conditions
- Available budget
Timing:
It is crucial that preventive maintenance be applied before pavement rating drops below fair condition.
3. Periodic Maintenance
Definition:
Periodic maintenance consists of systematic treatments applied at fixed intervals to restore pavement conditions.
Key Activities:
- Renewal coats (seal coats, thin overlays)
- Structural overlay (if required)
- Profile correction during resurfacing
Purpose:
To restore skid resistance, smoothness, and surface texture and address age-related distress.
Frequency:
Based on road category, traffic volume, and climatic stress:
- Highways and Urban Roads: Periodic renewal should occur when pavement condition reaches Serviceability Level 2 (fair).
- Rural Roads: Renewal is recommended when condition rating drops to between 1 and 2.
Factors Affecting Periodicity:
- Pavement distress level (as outlined in Tables 5.1–5.3 of the code)
- Riding quality
- Skid resistance
- Pavement structure condition
Planning Maintenance Operations: A Systematic Approach
Steps to Plan Maintenance:
- Visual Condition Surveys:
- Carried out before and after monsoon season.
- Conducted using standard formats (Proforma 1 & 2 in Appendix).
- Instrumented Surveys:
- For accurate distress measurement.
- Includes skid resistance, roughness, and rut depth.
- Data Analysis:
- Road sections are rated as Good, Fair, or Poor.
- Pavement condition is linked to the type of maintenance required.
- Treatment Prioritization:
- Based on the severity of distress.
- Roads with critical distresses are treated immediately.
- Resource Planning:
- Allocation of manpower, machinery, and materials.
Using Pavement Management Systems (PMS)
IRC Code 82-2015 promotes the Pavement Maintenance Management System (PMMS) for optimized results. It enables:
- Identification of critical sections
- Budget allocation prioritization
- Cost-effective maintenance scheduling
- Predictive modeling of pavement deterioration
PMMS ensures scientifically-backed decisions and helps achieve maximum returns on infrastructure investments.
Conclusion
Maintenance of bituminous roads is not a luxury but a necessity. IRC Code 82-2015 offers a clear, structured, and implementable roadmap for routine, preventive, and periodic maintenance practices.
By adopting this three-tiered approach, road agencies can ensure durability, safety, and efficiency in their networks. With growing traffic and environmental challenges, early detection and proactive care will continue to be the cornerstone of effective road management in India.
RoadVision AI is revolutionizing the way we build and maintain infrastructure by leveraging the power of AI in roads to enhance road safety and optimize road management. By utilizing cutting-edge roads AI technology, the platform enables the early detection of potholes, cracks, and other road surface issues, ensuring timely maintenance and improved road conditions. With a mission to create smarter, safer, and more sustainable roads, RoadVision AI ensures full compliance with IRC Codes, empowering engineers and stakeholders to make data-driven decisions that reduce costs, minimize risks, and improve the overall transportation experience.