EXTENDING URBAN ROAD PAVEMENT SERVICE LIFE IN NUKUS (KARAKALPAKSTAN): CLIMATE- AND SALINITY-RESPONSIVE DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE
Keywords:
Karakalpakstan; Nukus; urban roads; pavement performance; rutting; thermal cracking; saline soils; maintenance; mechanistic-empirical designAbstract
Urban pavements in Karakalpakstan operate under a coupled stress regime: hot, dry summers; cold-season freezing risk; salt-laden dust and saline soils; and concentrated low-speed heavy loads at intersections and bus corridors. These conditions accelerate rutting, cracking, ravelling and moisture-related damage, and can shorten pavement service life when standard designs are imported without adaptation. This paper develops a climate- and salinity-responsive framework for extending pavement life in Nukus and surrounding districts. The method synthesizes mechanistic-empirical pavement design principles, distress taxonomies and preservation practices, and it translates them into a practical set of design and maintenance packages. Illustrative deterioration trajectories show how intersection loading and environmental exposure can shift performance curves, motivating early preventive actions. The main contribution is a locally grounded checklist and treatment selection logic that aligns materials, drainage and maintenance timing with the Aral Sea region context.
References
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