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22.06.2007

Final WATMOVE workshop

The COST Action 351  on Water Movements in Road Pavements and Embankments (WATMOVE) has completed its tasks with a final workshop in Athens.  The  project team presented many aspects of their work which focussed on the problems and solutions of water within road infrastructure and its immediate effects on the surroundings.    Specific considerations concerned the challenges faced by road operators in complying with the European Directive on Groundwater quality.  A book setting out the state-of-the-art in the topic will be published soon. 



The final workshop was held in conjunction with the International Conference on Advanced Characterisation of Pavement and Soil Engineering Materials in Athens.

 main objective of the Action was to increase the knowledge required for improving the highway performance and minimising the leaching of contaminants from roads and traffic. Improvement of pavement performance will lead to less road closures, better use of the road network, longer service life and more effective transportation of goods and people.

The four specific objectives were to;

  •  to identify water movement and moisture conditions in unbound pavement layers and subgrade for different types of road constructions in various climatic conditions,
  •  to investigate the relationship between the mechanical behaviour of materials/soils and their hydraulic conductivity and moisture condition, 
  •  to implement finite element modelling based on laboratory analysis and field studies in order to simulate water movement and moisture conditions in road construction, 
  •  to identify, investigate and control contaminants leaching from soils, natural aggregates and by-products.

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