Protecting Pavement Infrastructure from the Impact of Wilder Weather

Pavements are the backbone of modern transportation and a constant in our daily lives—are under growing stress. They must support heavy traffic while enduring increasingly extreme weather patterns. Over the past two decades, rising temperatures, intense rainfall, and unpredictable climate shifts have exposed the limits of traditional pavement management. In this new era, the future of pavement maintenance depends not only on adapting to change but also on embracing innovation, especially AI-driven solutions like those from SITE Technologies.

Extreme weather takes a heavy toll on roads. Heat softens asphalt, making it more prone to damage. Freezing temperatures and freeze-thaw cycles cause cracks and potholes. Moisture seeps into base layers, weakening the structure, while snow removal and de-icing chemicals often damage concrete surfaces. Even UV rays accelerate pavement aging. Understanding these impacts is crucial to building more durable, climate-resilient roads.

To support proactive maintenance, researchers have developed detailed climate classifications that reflect regional differences more accurately. The Federal Highway Administration’s Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program now defines nine distinct climate zones across the U.S., considering factors like temperature, precipitation, and freezing patterns. This detailed framework helps engineers tailor maintenance strategies to local conditions, improving pavement longevity and performance.

SITE Technologies leverages this framework and more. As a leading AI-powered pavement management platform, SITE uses predictive analytics to transform how organizations maintain and extend the life of paved assets. By analyzing traffic volume, surface condition data, climate patterns, and LTPP zone insights, SITE generates highly accurate pavement deterioration models. These models empower clients to make smarter, data-driven infrastructure decisions, optimize CapEx planning, and reduce overall lifecycle costs.

With predictive maintenance and asset lifecycle optimization at the core of SITE’s platform, property stakeholders can move beyond reactive fixes to strategic, cost-effective pavement care. In a world of wilder weather, SITE Technologies delivers the tools needed to protect critical infrastructure—now and into the future.

To learn more and/or speak with a pavement expert, please reach out to info@sitetechnologies.io.