Enhancement of roadway pavement resilience to flooding: impact assessment and mitigation strategies

Flooding has been a great threat to the functionality and longevity of transportation infrastructure, particularly roadway pavements. This study utilizes a systematic approach to improve roadway resilience through comprehensive review and synthesis of existing knowledge and identification of current gaps. The study first reveals the diverse mechanisms of flooding-related risk, including surface material degradation, hydraulic scouring, subsurface saturation, subgrade erosion, and washout. It then explores non-destructive testing methods, and pavement performance modelling approaches for assessing flooding impacts through fragility curves, highlighting their respective advantages and limitations. Finally, various mitigation strategies are discussed, each offering unique benefits. These include nature-based solutions, roadway geometry adjustments, pavement design and maintenance enhancements, and post-flooding operation. Future research is recommended to better understand and prevent washout damage, characterize recovery period after flooding, and select mitigation strategies based on life-cycle assessment for improving infrastructure resilience under climate change.