Specialists of Kazakhstan Road Research Institute are studying artificial-intelligence technologies, digital monitoring of roads and bridges, and developments in the field of durable road materials in China. The most promising solutions are to be adapted to the climatic and operating conditions of Kazakhstan.

From 14 to 19 August, KazdorNII specialists completed training in Nanjing as part of the international 2026 Engineering Capacity Building Program, delivered at the invitation of the partner organization JSTI Group. The program brought together engineers from Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia and other Asian countries to share experience and become acquainted with China's advanced engineering developments.

One of the program's key themes was the digital management of road infrastructure using artificial intelligence.

KazdorNII specialists examined the work of the Operation and Management Center for the Expressway Network of Jiangsu Province, where data on the condition of the road network and traffic flows is collected in real time. Intelligent systems make it possible to forecast congestion, automatically detect road-traffic incidents, and promptly coordinate movement on the expressways.

This approach makes it possible to shift from responding to problems that have already arisen toward forecasting and preventing them in advance.

Another area of interest for Kazakhstan is the digital monitoring of bridge conditions. Using the cable-stayed and suspension bridge crossings over the Yangtze River as an example, the specialists studied the application of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems. The installed sensors record vibrations, deformations and other structural changes around the clock, while predictive models make it possible to identify potential risks in advance.

As part of the program, KazdorNII representatives also visited the National Engineering Research Center of Advanced Road Materials (NERC-ARM), the National Key Laboratory for the Safety and Maintenance of Long-Span Bridges, and research centers of Southeast University.

Particular attention was given to next-generation road materials — self-healing and energy-efficient pavements, as well as modified asphalt concretes of enhanced durability designed for heavy loads and demanding climatic conditions.

For Kazakhstan, this area is especially relevant given the significant temperature fluctuations and the need to extend the intervals between road repairs.

"The modern approach is not to wait for a critical defect to appear, but to understand in advance where and when it may occur. The technologies of artificial intelligence, digital twins and instrumental monitoring studied in China are aligned with the direction that KazdorNII is developing in the domestic road sector. Our task is to adapt the most effective solutions to Kazakhstan's conditions and to apply them in the diagnostics and management of road assets," the Institute's specialists noted.

The experience gained will be used by KazdorNII to further develop intelligent monitoring systems for roads and engineering structures, improve infrastructure diagnostics, and advance research into durable road materials.