Quality of pavement construction in Saudi Arabia

The road network in Saudi Arabia has experienced remarkable development both in length and standards to become one of the longest and most modern highway networks in the Middle East. Quality of performance of some roads, however, was below a satisfactory level. Various parameters directly and indirectly contribute to the pavement quality performance. The contributing factors are design, specifications, environment (traffic, temperature), and construction-related factors; the indirect factors are managerial-related factors. This paper reviews the factors that contribute to the quality of pavement performance in Saudi Arabia. This review was achieved via both a comprehensive literature review and a highway contractor's survey. The significant performance factors were arranged into three groups: (1) managerial-related factors that include qualification of owner's inspection team, contractor experience, and capability; (2) design and specifications-related factors that include consideration of regional conditions in design, aggregate quality, mix design and composition, and asphalt characteristics; and (3) construction-related factors that include aggregate characteristics, placement and compaction process, uniformity of materials, and mixing operation control. The consideration and improvement of these factors in future pavement construction could lead to better pavement performance, longer service life, and lower maintenance costs.