In November, we had the international ROSE Workshop 2017 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Here is a little information and background.

The international ROSE Workshop 2017 brought together Danish Road Directorate officials with leaders from the public sector, private enterprise, and academia to explore energy-saving road transportation.

Launched in 2016 with the support of the Danish Ministry of Science, the “Roads Saving Energy” (ROSE) project aims to reduce carbon emissions from road traffic. This joint European effort will deliver a scientific framework for a 20% reduction in rolling resistance, which will in turn contribute to a reduction in fuel consumption. If successful, ROSE will help lower Denmark’s energy use by 1.5%.

ROSE’s innovation partners, bringing expertise in research, infrastructure engineering, equipment manufacturing, and related fields, include the Danish Road Directorate, France’s IFSTTAR (institute of science and technology for transport, development, and networks), the universities RUC and DTU, and private companies AfterMath, Continental AG, Greenwood Engineering A/S, NCC Roads A/S, and Total Denmark A/S.

On the asset management level, ROSE and similar projects championed by the Danish Road Directorate will investigate how to fit CO2 emission reduction into maintenance and operation strategies while securing the safety, durability, and reliability of road infrastructure. So far, these projects have resulted in the design of new models, the introduction of new measuring methods, and the development of an asset lifecycle analysis framework.

In the near future, decision makers in the European road administrations might look to include CO2-reducing elements in their already complex package of asset management requirements and key performance indicators. And pavements with low rolling resistance will be in high demand due to their ecological advantages, including their noise-reducing effects.

These transformations in road design will impact asphalt producers and construction suppliers as well as asset management system providers.

ROSE is an acronym for Roads Saving Energy – where rolling resistance plays an important part. ROSE is a sister project to MIRIAM, which addresses Models for Rolling Resistance in Road Infrastructure Asset Management Systems, and COOEE, which focuses on CO2 Energy Efficiency. Other related projects have included MIRAVEC, ROSANNE, and InnoEnergi—most with a high level of involvement from the Danish Road Directorate.