"• What is the problem/issue being addressed?
Over the last decades a large investment in infrastructures for ground transportation has been made by the member countries of the union. The aging of the pavement increases which causes a serious problem for road safety making necessary to invest in road conservation.
In the accesses to the cities a great number of accidents are concentrated, due, among other factors, to the great intensity of circulation, the type of maneuvers and the state of maintenance of the pavement. In critical weather conditions due to rain and snow, the chances of accident increase due to the lack of grip between the tire and the road surface.
Traditional methods for preserving pavements consist basically in the demolition and replacement of the surface layer. These procedures generate a lot of waste to be treated and replenishment needs a great contribution of natural resources. The entire process involves a large amount of CO2 emissions and other pollutants
• Why is it important for society?
Environmental contamination (reducing emissions), depletion of natural resources and road safety are relevant issues shared by all citizens and are part of the common policy of the European Union concerns. These aspects are important factors in our project.
Pollution.
Nature is our life support system, so we must take care of it. Just as we share resources such as water and air, natural habitats and the species they host, we also share environmental standards to protect them. As the world population grows and the number of people living in cities increases, global environmental challenges become more pressing. Further action is needed to ensure: cleaning the air, oceans and other water resources, sustainable land use and ecosystems and acceptable levels of climate change.
Exhaustion of natural resources
The vast majority of Europeans believe that the most efficient use of natural resources and protection of the environment can boost economic growth in the EU.
Surveys reveal a growing awareness of the pressure exerted on natural resources. When asked about solutions, eight out of ten participants encourage companies to do more to use natural resources more efficiently. Seven out of ten want the national government to take more measures and almost seven out of ten believe that citizens themselves should do more.
Road Safety
Given the data obtained every year from road accidents, road safety is a major social concern. Traffic accidents, in addition to the psychological and social impact that have on the victims, family and friends, also have a great social cost, mainly associated to hospital expenses, maintenance of the road network and the implementation of measures intended to reduce accidents.
The period 2011-2020 has been designated by the UN as the Decade of Action for Road Safety. In this ""Decade for Action"" EU member countries are challenged to reduce the number of deaths by 50%, a challenge which was previously launched by the European Union in the decade from 2000 to 2010 and reiterated in 2011-2020.
• What are the overall objectives?
SPA4ROADS aims to take advantage of the shift in investment towards sustainable infrastructure conservation aiming to bring to the market a product that can improve the situation in the above points.
Our objective is to contribute to the sustainable conservation of infrastructures, reducing CO2 emissions, consumption of materials and increasing road safety in the processes of pavement conservation. It will also mean significant economic savings for the EU member states.
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