ASTANA – The Kazakhstan Highway Research Institute (KazNorDII) has developed a road asset management system. Beginning with the East Kazakhstan region, the database will use machines and up-to-date digital technology to examine cracks and other road surface damage and assess overall condition, reported YK-news.kz.
“Such systems are used in many European countries. We cannot use existing international digital technologies in Kazakhstan, because we have different climatic and geographical conditions and funding is different. We want to develop our own system and the forecasting method will be different for each region, because we also have our own differences everywhere,” said institute vice president Azamat Zhaisanbayev.
KazNorDII studies road quality using special equipment to detect pavement wear and measure cracks. Such technology can complete accurate surveys and save financial costs. The information is stored in the road asset management system electronic database.
The system module predicts road conditions and determines the budget needed for repairs. The technology can provide a five-ten year forecast, noted Zhaisanbayev.
The institute will also be developing a mobile app where citizens can send photos or messages related to road quality.
KazNorDII was established in 1959 to solve design problems and construct and operate the country’s highways. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the institute became a national company. It is accredited by the Ministry of Education and Science for scientific and scientific-technical activities, has its own testing laboratory and includes a standardisation technical committee.
In 2006, the institute became a member of the World Road Association (PIARC). Since 2012, it has been an associate member of the International Society on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE).
