How did traffic and climate situations worsen material consumption and waste from road infrastructure in Bangkok?

Abstract

Heavy traffic and climatic loads can accelerate road deterioration and the subsequent material consumption and waste generation from road maintenance. In Bangkok, Thailand, the lack of statistical records on this pressure necessitates the modeling and mapping of material movement. Therefore, this study combines Highway Development and Management System-4 and bottom–up approaches to conduct a spatiotemporal material flow analysis of Bangkok's roadway rehabilitation from 2004 to 2022. The findings reported an over threefold increase in material flow for pavement repair and revealed a spatial connection among this growth, the escalation of traffic and climate pressures, and the expansion of aging and less durable paved roads. In addition to having the strongest effect on traffic volume, the annual flood cycle was a crucial driver of substantial material use and waste. This is the first study to reveal the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of road repairs on material flows.