SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Wildfires can have devastating impacts on roadways, both directly and indirectly. Direct impacts include physical damage caused by flames and heat to the pavement surface and other ancillary assets (such as culverts, guard rails, and signs), and reduction in mobility while indirect impacts can include erosion, settlement, structural damage to the pavement structure due to post-fire flooding and debris flow, and the damage caused due to debris hauling and other response and recovery efforts. With respect to pavement systems, wildfires can potentially affect their serviceability in any or all of the following ways:

- Surface damage during the fire event itself, which could lead to melted pavement, potholes, raveling, and delamination.
- Structural damage to the pavement as a result of the increase in loadings from fire suppression vehicles and post-fire cleanup (e.g., trucks hauling debris).
- Potential damage due to post-fire flooding (e.g., complete washout and debris flow, loss of structural capacity due to inundated base layer).
- Damage to pavements as a result of clogged or damaged drainage systems (e.g., inundated base layer, standing water on pavement surface).
- Shortened pavement life from the above factors and possible premature aging of the asphalt binder in the pavement surface layer.

This presentation will summarize the existing body of knowledge on impacts of wildfires on pavement systems while also identifying where gaps in knowledge and practice exist that require future research. Lessons learned from highway agency experiences in managing wildfire impacts will also be discussed.

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