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Buildings
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Pathway to Sustainability: Advances in Road Pavement Structures and Materials
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Pathway to Sustainability: Advances in Road Pavement Structures and Materials

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Materials, and Repair & Renovation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2025 | Viewed by 7795

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Shuguang Hou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Transportation Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
Interests: life cycle management and maintenance; road traffic safety assessment and control; green intelligent pavement theory and technology; traffic infrastructure informatization
Dr. Yao Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Civil Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Interests: pavement structure and performance; multi-scale mechanical response of asphalt pavement; pavement recycling technology; advanced pavement materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mingliang Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China, Beijing 100088, China
Interests: sustainable pavement materials; functional pavement; pavement material recycling; asphalt pavement maintenance
Dr. Peng Lin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands
Interests: asphalt pavement recycling; rejuvenation technique; circular economy of road infrastructure; sustainable road materials development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the face of rapid urbanization and heightened transportation demands, developing sustainable road pavement structures and materials is vital. This multi-faceted concern has far-reaching impacts on our environment, economy, and society, and necessitates careful material selection, thoughtful design, environmentally conscious construction, and proactive preservation strategies.

The journey towards more sustainable pavements is intricately linked to the choice of materials, as these have a profound influence on pavement durability, material consumption, transportation safety, life-cycle costs, the maintenance approach, and environmental footprint. Substantial research efforts in recent years have been dedicated to the exploration and assessment of innovative road materials that promote sustainable design, construction, and maintenance of pavements. However, a multitude of challenges still remain unresolved on the pathway to sustainability.

The aim of this Special Issue, entitled "Pathway to Sustainability: Advances in Road Pavement Structures and Materials", is to highlight the latest advancements in this critical field, focusing on innovative techniques, materials, and design approaches that contribute to the sustainability and long-term performance of road infrastructure. We are extending an invitation to researchers to contribute original research articles, as well as review articles that delve into novel trends and breakthroughs in sustainable road materials and pavement design.

Papers are invited, but not limited to, the following topics:

  1. Sustainable pavement design and modeling
  2. Life-cycle assessment of road pavement systems
  3. Innovative materials for road construction (e.g., recycled and waste materials)
  4. Novel pavement structures and designs for enhanced sustainability
  5. Advances in pavement maintenance and rehabilitation techniques
  6. Climate change adaptation strategies for road pavements
  7. Energy-efficient pavement technologies
  8. Noise reduction measures in road construction and maintenance
  9. Innovative approaches for stormwater management in road systems
  10. Performance evaluation and monitoring of sustainable road pavements
  11. Case studies and best practices in sustainable road infrastructure development

We look forward to receiving your contributions to this Special Issue, which will serve as a valuable resource for researchers, engineers, and policymakers seeking to advance sustainable road pavement structures and materials for a more resilient transportation infrastructure.

Prof. Dr. Shuguang Hou
Dr. Yao Zhang
Dr. Mingliang Li
Dr. Peng Lin
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pavement sustainability
  • pavement structural design
  • life-cycle assessment
  • pavement maintenance
  • energy-efficient technologies
  • material performance evaluation
  • recycling of solid waste resources
  • climate change adaptation

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 15575 KiB  
Article
Finite Element Method Simulation and Experimental Investigation on the Temperature Control System with Groundwater Circulation in Bridge Deck Pavement
by Wei Ni, Hancheng Dan, Gewen Bai and Jiawei Tan
Buildings 2024, 14(6), 1537; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061537 - 25 May 2024
Viewed by 688
Abstract
The application of green energy resources is gaining increasing attention in the field of engineering. In cold areas, the groundwater circulation temperature control system (GCTCS) can serve as an auxiliary structure to the bridge deck on highways, effectively preventing the pavement surface from [...] Read more.
The application of green energy resources is gaining increasing attention in the field of engineering. In cold areas, the groundwater circulation temperature control system (GCTCS) can serve as an auxiliary structure to the bridge deck on highways, effectively preventing the pavement surface from freezing. In this study, a finite element simulation is conducted to establish a bridge structure model of the GCTCS, incorporating both steady-state and transient conditions to investigate its anti-icing performance. Additionally, the influences of various factors, such as wind speed, asphalt concrete layer thickness, groundwater temperature, pipe water flow rate, and pipe spacing, on the temperature of the water film on the pavement surface are investigated and validated through laboratory testing. The results demonstrate that wind speed has a significant influence, with the convective heat loss reaching 90% when the wind speed reaches 10 m/s. Groundwater temperature is the second most influential factor, showing a linear relationship with the water film temperature. Excessive pipe spacing can lead to an uneven temperature distribution on the pavement surface. The thickness of the asphalt concrete layer and the flow rate have minimal effects. However, a low flow rate can result in a significant decrease in the water film temperature. Furthermore, changes in the thermal conductivity of the surface layers also contribute to the anti-icing effect. The simulation analysis of the GCTCS provides valuable guidance for practical engineering in cooler regions where groundwater resources are abundant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathway to Sustainability: Advances in Road Pavement Structures and Materials)
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21 pages, 19153 KiB  
Article
Construction Quality Control for Rutting Resistance of Asphalt Pavement Using BIM Technology
by Yulong Zhao, Jiaolong Ren, Ke Zhang, Yaofei Luo and Kun Wang
Buildings 2024, 14(1), 239; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14010239 - 15 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1087
Abstract
During the course of building asphalt pavement, a lack of quality control will lead to the abandonment of the asphalt mixtures. One of the most common problems with asphalt pavement is rutting. Improving the construction’s quality is an important measure to reduce rutting. [...] Read more.
During the course of building asphalt pavement, a lack of quality control will lead to the abandonment of the asphalt mixtures. One of the most common problems with asphalt pavement is rutting. Improving the construction’s quality is an important measure to reduce rutting. The purpose is to ensure the high-temperature durability of asphalt mixtures during the construction workflow to reduce the waste of asphalt mixtures, as well as to provide a methodology for the current monitoring of the quality based on the building information modeling (BIM). Rutting resistance was appraised utilizing the static uniaxial creep examination. Oblique photography technology was used to obtain terrain data. The software of Revit 2016 was used to build the spatial model of highways and bridges. The results show that the size distribution of particles, the asphalt proportion, and the forming specimen’s temperature are the vital elements influencing the high-temperature behavior. The gradation was identified as the most important factor. The second was the asphalt binder content. Gradation variation should be given more consideration during paving using asphalt mixtures. Furthermore, the developed BIM platform can also monitor rutting resistance to reduce rework during construction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathway to Sustainability: Advances in Road Pavement Structures and Materials)
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19 pages, 9993 KiB  
Article
Microscopic Properties of Asphalt and Polyethylene at an Extraordinary High Dosage through Molecular Dynamics Simulation
by Yuye Jin, Haoyi Li, Jie Chen, Qianqian Wang, Yanhua Bao and Shuguang Hou
Buildings 2024, 14(1), 164; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14010164 - 9 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1167
Abstract
Using waste plastics in asphalt mixtures could be an exploratory way to dispose of waste plastics. This study aims to investigate the microscopic properties between asphalt and polyethylene (PE) at an extraordinary dosage of 20 wt.%. Various types of PE with different degrees [...] Read more.
Using waste plastics in asphalt mixtures could be an exploratory way to dispose of waste plastics. This study aims to investigate the microscopic properties between asphalt and polyethylene (PE) at an extraordinary dosage of 20 wt.%. Various types of PE with different degrees of polymerization (DP) and structural configurations were considered. Molecular dynamics simulations were used to calculate the mechanical parameters, free volume ratio (FVR), and Flory–Huggins parameter of the resulting PE-modified asphalt (PEA). Two types of PEA were made and characterized by fluorescence microscopy. The simulation results indicate that the addition of PE reduces the density of modified asphalt by less than 5%, and a higher density of PEA is associated with a lower FVR. When the FVR is close, the mechanical properties are greatly influenced by the DP and configuration. The DP and the number of chains are the main parameters impacting the compatibility between PE and asphalt, based on the Flory–Huggins parameter analysis. Decreasing the DP of PE (e.g., 50, with a minimum Flory–Huggins parameter and a relative molecular mass of 1300) will significantly increase the compatibility between asphalt and PE. LDPE−2 has better compatibility with asphalt, possibly because LDPE−2 has higher purity. These findings provide valuable insights into plastic thermal cracking and industrial modification practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathway to Sustainability: Advances in Road Pavement Structures and Materials)
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17 pages, 11765 KiB  
Article
Investigation of Medium-Term Performance of Porous Asphalt and Its Impacts on Tire/Pavement Noise
by Hao Wu, Ge Wang, Mingliang Li, Yue Zhao, Jun Li, Dingding Han and Pengfei Li
Buildings 2024, 14(1), 64; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14010064 - 25 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1244
Abstract
To assess the medium-term performance of porous asphalt pavement during service and its influence on tire/pavement noise level, a seven-year continuous observation and data analysis study was conducted. Key performance indicators were measured and calculated by using automated pavement technology testing equipment. The [...] Read more.
To assess the medium-term performance of porous asphalt pavement during service and its influence on tire/pavement noise level, a seven-year continuous observation and data analysis study was conducted. Key performance indicators were measured and calculated by using automated pavement technology testing equipment. The noise levels were tested by using the on-board sound intensity (OBSI) method on three types of porous asphalt pavements (PUC-10, PAC-13, and PUC-10 + PAC-13) and one dense thin layer course (DTC) for comparison. The findings indicated that the Damage Rate (DR) and Surface Friction Coefficient (SFC) of porous asphalt pavements diminished greatly over time, while the International Roughness Index (IRI) and Rut Depth (RD) remained relatively stable. The two-layer porous asphalt pavement showed the largest noise reduction over the medium-term. Compared to DTC, the OBSI noise levels of these structures were lower by 2.09 dB, 1.53 dB, and 2.88 dB, respectively. The OBSI was found to be closely correlated with the SFC, IRI, test speed, lane, and pavement type. The RD had a notable effect on the OBSI in PUC-10 pavements. In PUC-10 + PAC-13 pavements, a significant linear relationship was observed between the OBSI and SFC. This is mainly because of the polishing of the coarse aggregates, which leads to micro-texture reduction, high frequency noise increase, and SFC decrease. This study makes a valuable contribution to understanding the laws of porous asphalt pavement performance changes and the relationship between tire/pavement noise and pavement characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathway to Sustainability: Advances in Road Pavement Structures and Materials)
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14 pages, 3882 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the Refined Decomposition Effect of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement Materials
by Peng Wang, Junwei Chen, Jie Wang, Jian Li, Hualong Ning, Chunming Liang, Xiaogang Ge and Xiaojun Wang
Buildings 2023, 13(9), 2240; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13092240 - 4 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1077
Abstract
To improve the quality of reclaimed asphalt pavement materials (RAPs) and reduce the variability of RAPs, a refined decomposition process was applied to treat RAPs. The change rule and variability of aggregate gradation, asphalt content, aged asphalt properties and aggregate (extracted) properties of [...] Read more.
To improve the quality of reclaimed asphalt pavement materials (RAPs) and reduce the variability of RAPs, a refined decomposition process was applied to treat RAPs. The change rule and variability of aggregate gradation, asphalt content, aged asphalt properties and aggregate (extracted) properties of RAPs were analyzed with different frequency parameters. In addition, the gradation variability control method and the asphalt content variability control method were used to calculate the maximum addition proportion of RAPs according to the quality control requirements of hot-mixing asphalt mixtures. The results indicate that the variability of aggregate gradation, asphalt content and asphalt properties significantly reduced for the refined decomposition RAP. Compared with the original RAP (0 Hz) of 4.75–9.5 mm and 9.5–19 mm, the “false particle” content of the refined decomposition RAP (50 Hz) reduced by 75.6% and 64.3%, respectively. The refined decomposition process is conducive to the road performance of recycled asphalt mixtures, especially the dynamic stability and the maximum bending tensile strain. Comparing the recycled asphalt mixture with the original RAP (0 Hz), the maximum bending strain of the recycled asphalt mixture with the refined decomposition RAP (50 Hz) increased by 69%, and the immersion residual stability increased to 87.9%. The refined decomposition process improves the quality of the RAP and provides a reference for recycled asphalt mixtures with a high proportion of RAPs. This study contributes to RAP high-level recycling and carbon reduction in the highway maintenance industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathway to Sustainability: Advances in Road Pavement Structures and Materials)
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17 pages, 6047 KiB  
Essay
Influence of Mineral Admixtures on the Performance of Pervious Concrete and Microscopic Research
by Wenhua Yuan, Lianjie Ji, Long Meng, Min Fang and Xiangchi Zhang
Buildings 2024, 14(2), 533; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14020533 - 17 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1717
Abstract
Pervious concrete is an innovative eco-friendly construction material. Through the application of mineral admixtures and microscopic analysis to optimize its performance and analyze its mechanisms, its traits as a sustainable building option may be further improved. This study primarily examines the impact of [...] Read more.
Pervious concrete is an innovative eco-friendly construction material. Through the application of mineral admixtures and microscopic analysis to optimize its performance and analyze its mechanisms, its traits as a sustainable building option may be further improved. This study primarily examines the impact of the optimal blend quantities of fly ash, silica fume, and reinforcing agent on the attributes, micro-morphology, and phase composition of porous concrete. The optimal admixture was chosen after analyzing the effects of various factors on the mix ratio and properties of permeable concrete. To understand the degree of impact, performance tests were conducted on the 28-day compressive strength, water permeability coefficient, and porosity. Furthermore, the micro-mechanisms of the admixtures and reinforcing agents on the properties of permeable concrete were analyzed from a microscopic point of view using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. This research found that the advantageous properties of permeable concrete were enhanced by the simultaneous integration of appropriate quantities of fly ash, silica fume, and reinforcing agent. This resulted in a 28-day compressive strength of 18.33 MPa and a permeability coefficient of 8.27 mm/s. Compared with the unadulterated mineral admixture, the optimal admixture of fly ash, silica fume, and reinforcing agent at the same time increased the 28-day compressive strength by about double; the permeability coefficient was reduced by 36%, but it was still at a high level; and the measured porosity did not differ much from the designed porosity. Through thorough microanalysis, the hydration reaction was significantly improved, which could enhance the microstructure and pore structure of the concrete. This was supported by a substantial increase in the macroscopic compressive strength and a decrease in the water permeability coefficient, which were consistent with the aforementioned enhancement found in the microanalysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathway to Sustainability: Advances in Road Pavement Structures and Materials)
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