The Road and Pavement Maintenance unit provides advanced knowledge for professional work with the maintenance of roads and road reserves and as a pathway to further learning. It will further develop the basic skills and knowledge imparted in the core unit Introduction to Pavements.

Maintenance aims to preserve the road structure, particularly the pavement and wearing surface, so that it does not deteriorate below condition targets based on user expectations, safety and economics. The unit examines the different ways in which both flexible and rigid pavements show distress, both structural and non-structural. Defects such as deformation, cracking and many others are described together with problems relating to safety and damage caused by external factors. Shoulder and drainage maintenance treatments and other road maintenance activities are discussed and the unit concludes with coverage of maintenance management issues and finally a discussion on pavement management systems.

The unit will require the development of cognitive skills to think critically about materials employed and the methods used in road maintenance programs. The unit will also seek to develop specialised technical and creative skills relevant to current and future professional practice.