IIT Hyderabad's novel technique may help build enduring roads in India

In modern pavement construction, accurate prediction of pavement performance has become important in order to develop robust design procedures

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad have developed a novel modelling technique which they say could help in the construction of long-lasting roads in the country.

The technique called Reliability-Based Design Optimization (RBDO) can predict the performance of road surfaces or pavements and compare these predictions with conventional road designs, researchers said.

"RBDO is a modelling technique that combines optimisation approaches with reliability assessment of structures," said Professor Sireesh Saride, from Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Hyderabad. 

The researchers noted that India has the second largest road network in the world, after the US, and has about 4.37 kilometres of